REESE    LIBRARY 


UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA. 


f*'V^i^ 

Accessions  No.  Z-ty 


•' '"* 


LIGHT  AND  LOVE." 


A  SKETCH 


OF 


THE  LIFE  AND  LABORS 


OF  THE 


REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 


THE 


EVANGELICAL  PASTOR; 


THE  ADVOCATE  OF 


TEMPERANCE,  THE  SABBATH,  AND  THE  BIBLE, 


BY  REV.  WILLIAM  A.  HALLOCK, 

OF  NEW  YORK  CITY. 


AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY, 

NEW  YORK:   150  NASSAU-STREET. 
BOSTON :   28  CORNHILL. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1855,  by  WILLIAM  A.  HAL- 
LOCK,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of  New 
York. 


Right  of  publishing  transTeuftid  »  the  American  Tract  Society. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

EAELY    LIFE    TO   HIS   ENTERING-   THE   MINISTRY— 

1787-1812. 

Parentage — Influence  of  the  great  works  of  God  in  1740  and  1800 
on  his  conversion  and  Christian  character — Commences  study — 
Dedication  of  himself  to  God— In  Williams  College— Hon.  Will 
iam  H.  Maynard — Reading — Graduates  with  honor — In  Andover 
Seminary — Prevailing  conflict  of  truth  and  error — Rise  of  the 
foreign  missionary  spirit — His  call  to  the  church  in  Andover — 
Letter  to  ladies  who  presented  ordination  garments  .  .  7 

CHAPTER   II. 

HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER— FIRST  FIVE  YEARS, 
1812-1817. 

Consecration  to  his  work — First  sermon,  on  preaching  the  Bible — 
Rules  of  life — His  abundant  labors  as  pastor — Visits  Westhamp- 
ton  for  rest — Dr.  Austin — Circle  to  devise  plans  for  doing  good — 
New  England  Tract  Society — Society  for  Reformation  of  Morals — 
"Great  Effects  from  little  Causes" — Value  of  a  soul — First  Sab 
bath-school — Monthly  concert  of  prayer  established  in  this  coun 
try — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bardwell — -'Sermon,  "If  any  man  have  not  the 
Spirit  of  Christ " — Two  sermons  on  Intemperance — New  principle 
of  the  Temperance  reform — Letter  to  Rev.  Gordon  Hall  .  32 

CHAPTER  III. 

HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER— FIVE  YEARS,  1817-1822. 

Prayer — Abundant  pastoral  labors — Preaching  "Christ  crucified" — 
His  marriage — Business  arrangements — Letter  to  Church  Mis 
sionary  Society — Preaches  on  the  Signs  of  the  Times — Dr.  Jud- 
son — Spiritual  effusions — Letters  to  one  desponding,  to  one  in 
affliction,  and  on  the  birth  of  a  child — Maxims  of  peace — The 
Saints'  Rest — Elected  on  the  Board  of  the  Seminary — Journey  to 
Maine — Ecclesiastical  council — Sermon  on  Christian  Commun 
ion — Two  more  sermons  on  Intemperance — Letter  of  Rev.  Sam 
uel  Wood,  of  Boscawen — Reminiscences  by  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Ed 
wards 73 

CHAPTER  IV. 

HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER— BIBLE  VIEWS  OF  THE 
MINISTRY  AND  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST  — 1823,  1824. 

His  Nehemiah  sermon  and  address  before  the  Education  Society — 
His  address  on  Sacred  Eloquence — A  world-wide  objection  con- 


4  CONTENTS. 

sidered — The  truths  of  the  Bible  in  their  own  inspired  connec 
tion — Eloquence  taught  by  the  Spirit — His  sermon  on  the  Church 
the  Pillar  and  Ground  of  the  truth  .  .  .  .  .127 

CHAPTER  V. 

HIS  MINISTRY  IN   ANDOVER— LAST  THREE  YEARS, 

1824-1827. 

Male  and  Female  Bible-classes — To  one  indulging  a  trembling  hope — 
On  establishing  family  worship — Letters — Responsibility  of  con 
ducting  the  religious  press — Christian  Union — Results  of  the  So 
ciety  for  Doing  Good — Writes  the  temperance  tract,  Well-con 
ducted  Farm — Formation  of  the  Temperance  Society — Blessed 
results  of  Bible-classes — Writes  the  tract,  Way  to  be  Saved — 
Powerful  address  before  the  Tract  Society — New  church  in  An- 
dover — Laying  the  corner-stone — Called  to  Park-street  church, 
and  other  public  labors — Blessings  of  the  Spirit — Convention  at 
Lebanon  Springs — Results  and  reminiscences  of  his  ministry  177 

CHAPTER  VI. 

HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON— NEARLY  TWO  YEARS, 
1828,  1829. 

Call  to  New  York  city,  and  trying  questions  of  duty — Abundant 
and  successful  labors — His  sermon  on  the  "Unction  from  the 
Holy  One" — Revival  in  Londonderry — Prospects  of  extensive 
usefulness — The  Bible  God's  book  for  man — Visits  Connecticut 
river  for  health— Letter  of  Dr.  Spring — A  Presbytery  near  Sara- 
atoga  Springs — Letters  to  his  church  in  Boston,  a  niece,  a  mer 
chant,  a  relative  on  the  death  of  a  son — Williamstown — Calls  to 
public  stations — Character  as  a  pastor — Letters  from  Rev.  Dr. 
Porter,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Goodell 250 

CHAPTER   VII. 

HIS  LABORS  IN  THE   TEMPERANCE  REFORMATION- 
FIRST  TWO  YEARS,  1830,1831. 

Leadings  of  Providence — Origin  and  early  history  of  the  Temper 
ance  movement — His  early  Temperance  labors  while  pastor— 
A  new  principle,  to  keep  temperate  people  temperate — The  Tem 
perance  Society  formed — Agency  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hewit  and  oth 
ers — Hints  for  laborers  in  the  cause  of  Temperance — Letters  to 
his  family  and  friends — On  vindicating  our  own  character — Love 
of  the  Bible— Hon.  Samuel  L.  Southard— Death  of  Mrs.  Edwards' 
father — Tour  to  province  of  New  Brunswick — Letter  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Miller — His  letters  from  Baltimore,  Washington  city,  and  Phil 
adelphia — Letter  of  Hon.  John  Cotton  Smith— Surprising  results 
of  near  two  years'  labors — First  Permanent  Temperance  Docu 
ment — Powerful  appeals  .  ,  .'-.,*  •  •  •  312 


CONTENTS.  5 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

LABORS  IN  THE  TEMPERANCE  REFORMATION— TWO 
YEARS,  1832,  1833. 

National  Circular — Eloquent  appeal — Intemperance  destroys  the 
soul — Why  sign  a  pledge  ? — The  pledge  adopted — Second  Perma 
nent  Temperance  Document,  on  the  Traffic — Church-members 
retailing — Stings  of  conscience — Temperance  not  a  mere  secular 
concern — Its  advocacy  appropriate  to  the  Sabbath — Document, 
"The  immorality  of  the  Traffic" — Burning  appeals — The  retail 
er's  sign-board — The  Spirit  grieved — The  Christian  trafficker  in 
his  closet,  and  on  his  death-bed — Death  of  Dr.  Cornelius — Invita 
tion  to  Hamilton  college — Letters  of  Hon.  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer, 
General  Cocke,  and  Hon.  Mr.  Frelinghuysen — His  letters  from 
Washington— Congressional  Temperance  Society — Documents  on 
the  moral  wrong  of  "  Laws  which  authorize  the  Traffic  "  353 

CHAPTER  IX. 

LABORS  IN  THE  TEMPERANCE  REFORMATION- 
THREE  YEARS,  1833-1836. 

National  and  other  Conventions,  condemning  the  Traffic — The  re 
tailer's  gains,  "  the  price  of  blood  " — Long  western  tour — Bible 
principles,  "Is  it  right?" — Immorality  of  the  traffic  as  presented 
in  the  Bible — Letter  to  a  merchant — Systematic  benevolence — 
Nathaniel  R.  Cobb — Letter  from  Virginia — Remonstrance  of  Dr. 
Beecher  and  Mr.  Delavan  against  his  leaving  the  Temperance 
cause — Alcohol  the  product  of  fermentation — Testimony  of  gen 
tlemen  to  the  effects  of  total  abstinence  on  themselves — Cheer 
ing  results  of  his  Temperance  labors — Letter  of  Mr.  John  Tap- 
pan — Letters  to  his  family — Foreign  missionary  address  on  the 
death  of  Munson  and  Lyman,  and  Dr.  Wisner — Mills,  Fisk,  Rob- 
bins,  Harriet  Newell,  Cornelius 379 

CHAPTER   X. 

HIS  PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMI 
NARY—SIX  YEARS,  1836-1842. 

Other  appointments  declined — Summary  report  of  labors — Hints 
as  to  a  minister's  conversation  and  conduct — "Worthy  is  the 
Lamb" — Letter  from  Dr.  Milnor — To  a  brother  who  had  pro 
fessed  Christ — Hints  to  a  student  at  college — Serious  letters  to  a 
son  in  college — Preservation  of  his  eldest  son  from  a  sinking 
western  steamboat — Honesty  in  the  post-office — To  a  zealous 
Christian— Death  of  Hon.  William  Bartlet— Rev.  Dr.  Dana— Ser 
mon,  "Not  by  might  nor  by  power,"  on  foreign  missions — The 
spirit  of  our  early  foreign  missionaries — Letters  .  .  .  411 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XL 

HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SANCTIFICATION  OF  THE  SAB- 
BATH— SEVEN  YEARS,  1842-1849. 

The  question  what  God  would  now  have  him  do — Letter  as  to  circu 
lating  the  Bible — "  Temperance,  the  Sabbath,  and  the  Bible  " — 
Brought  again  into  contact  with  men — Formation  of  the  Sabbath 
Union — Abundant  and  successful  labors — The  Sabbath  estab 
lished  at  the  creation  for  man — Its  stillness  the  voice  of  God — 
God's  right  to  the  day,  and  the  inalienable  right  of  laboring  men 
and  beasts  of  burden  to  its  rest — Their  nature  requires  it — 
Change  of  the  day — Redemption  greater  than  creation — "The 
Sabbath  a  Family  Institution " — Family  government,  instruction 
and  example — "Proper  mode  of  keeping  the  Sabbath" — Ques 
tions  as  to  its  violation  considered — National  Sabbath  Conven 
tion  of  seventeen  hundred  delegates — Other  conventions — West 
ern  tour — Abundant  labors  and  happy  results  .  .  .  445 

CHAPTER   XII. 

LABORS  FOR  THE  SANCTIFICATION  OF  THE  SAB- 
BATH— CONTINUED. 

Letter  to  a  son  about  to  travel — Every  Christian  a  colporteur — Dr. 
Scudder  and  his  sons — Power  of  the  press — Death  of  Mrs.  Ed 
wards'  mother — Death  of  Dr.  Armstrong — Letters  to  his  family 
in  long  Sabbath  tours — Riding  on  horseback — Card-playing — 
Letters  to  his  daughters,  and  sons — Professor  Dod — Mesmerism — 
Boundaries  to  human  knowledge — Making  a  will — Sabbath  and 
Temperance  Manuals — Letters  from  Alabama  and  New  Orleans — 
Illness  at  Cincinnati — Closing  words  on  the  Sabbath  and  on  Tem 
perance — Letter  of  Judge  McLean — Labors  of  reformed  drunk 
ards — Right  of  the  people  to  laws  against  the  traffic  .  .  469 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

HIS  COMMENT  ON  THE  BIBLE  AS  GOD'S  G-IFT  FOR 
ALL  MEN— FOUR  YEARS,  1849-1853. 

Early  plans  that  the  Bible  might  be  circulated,  and  profitably  read — 
Proposed  Bible  Manual — Proposed  preface  for  New  Testament 
with  a  glossary — Rev.  Dr.  Jenks — The  Bible  for  immigrants — 
Requested  to  prepare  brief  Notes  and  Instructions — Specimen  of 
Notes  on  Matthew — Hints  as  to  the  proposed  comment — Delight 
in  illustrating  Scripture — Congress'  recommendation  of  the  Bible 
in  1781 — Comment  on  the  New  Testament  completed — Letters 
to  family  friends — view  of  human  life 501 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE   CLOSING  LABORS  OF  HIS  LIFE. 

Comment  on  the  Old  Testament  to  the  Psalms — Visit  to  the  Virginia 
Springs — His  death — Letter  of  his  daughter — Testimonies  and 
reminiscences — Conclusion  ,  ...  523 


MEMOIR 


OP 


REV,  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D,  D 


CHAPTER  I. 

EARLY  LIFE  TO  HIS  ENTERING  THE  MINISTRY. 

A.   D.  1787-1812. 

"  THE  works  of  the  Lord  arc  great,  sought  out  of 
all  them  that  have  pleasure  therein."  When  by  his 
grace  he  reaches  the  heart  of  a  young  man,  enlightens 
him  into  the  riches  of  his  holy  word,  teaches  him  the 
salvation  of  Christ,  and  leads  him  to  consecrate  a 
long  eventful  life  of  unwearied  usefulness  to  "Him 
who  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,"  and 
to  the  best  interests  of  all  for  whom  He  died,  a  lesson 
is  set  before  us  by  which  all  may  profit. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  with  characteristic 
modesty,  prepared  no  written  memorial  of  himself; 
and  of  many  of  the  most  laborious  and  useful  portions 
of  his  life,  the  only  record  is  in  enduring  results  on 
earth  and  before  the  throne  of  God.  His  letters  to  his 
father's  family,  which  had  been  carefully  preserved, 
were  destroyed  by  fire ;  and  of  his  letters  to  his  wife 


REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

and  children,  and  other  relatives  and  friends,  all  of 
which  seem  to  have  been  written  in  the  midst  of  press 
ing  public  duties,  probably  not  one  was  intended  for 
the  public  eye.  Of  these  letters  only  such  passages 
have  been  retained  as  seemed  to  be  of  general  interest. 
JUSTIN  EDWARDS  was  born  April  25, 1787,  in  West- 
hampton,  which  until  September,  1778,  was  a  part  of 
Northampton,  Hampshire  county,  Massachusetts.  He 
was  the  second  son  of  Justin  Edwards,  and  was  a  de 
scendant  of  Alexander  Edwards,  who  came  from  Wales 
in  1640,  settled  in  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  and  a 
few  years  after  removed  to  Northampton,  where  the 
succeeding  ancestors  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir 
resided  till  his  father  removed  to  Westhampton.* 

*  "  Alexander  Edwards  came  from  a  border  town  in  Wales  in 
1640,  and  settled  in  Springfield.  It  appears  from  a  deposition,  that 
his  minister  in  Wales  was  Mr.  Wroth,  a  conspicuous  Puritan 
preacher.  He  married  a  young  widow,  Sarah  Searl,  April  28, 1642. 
He  removed  to  Northampton  about  1655,  where  he  died,  Septem 
ber  4, 1690.  He  had  eight  children,  the  oldest  of  whom  was  Sam 
uel,  born  March  7, 1643. 

"Samuel  Edwards,  son  of  Alexander,  married  Sarah  Boykin, 
daughter  of  Jarvis  Boykin  of  New  Haven,  about  1675.  He  had 
six  children,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  Samuel,  born  March  26, 1676. 
He  died  April  13, 1712. 

"  Samuel  Edwards,  son  of  Samuel,  married  first  Mercy  Pomeroy, 
1708.  She  died  1712,  and  he  married  Sarah  Pomeroy  of  Colches 
ter,  Connecticut.  He  died  March  8, 1749.  He  had  nine  children, 
including  Samuel,  born  September  12, 1716,  and  Noah,  born  June 
6, 1722. 

"Noah  Edwards,  son  of  the  second  Samuel,  married  Jerusha 
Alvord,  June  28, 1749  ;  she  died  1798,  and  in  his  old  age  he  mar 
ried  widow  Elizabeth-  Wright,  September  11, 1799.  He  died  Sep 
tember  3, 1805.  He  had  eight  children ;  the  second  child  was  Jus 
tin,  born  in  1752. 


EARLY  LIFE.  9 

His  mother,  Elizabeth  Clark,  was  a  devoted  exem 
plary  Christian,  who  had  a  word  to  speak  for  Christ 
as  opportunity  presented,  and  whose  instructions  and 
prayers,  though  she  was  removed  by  death  when  he 
was  but  five  years  old,  he  never  forgot.  He  is  remem 
bered  as  a  pleasant  virtuous  child  who  could  be  con 
fided  in ;  a  kind,  consistent,  and  industrious  youth ; 
assisting  his  father  on  the  farm ;  in  the  district  school 
esteemed  by  his  mates,  and  showing  a  love  of  study, 
with  an  active  vigorous  mind ;  a  good  reader,  and  a 
fine  proficient  in  arithmetic ;  avoiding  contention ; 
cautious  in  speaking  of  the  faults  of  others  ;  and  hav 
ing  the  friendship  and  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him, 
when,  at  the  close  of  1804,  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
nearly  eighteen. 

The  period  in  the  religious  history  of  our  country 
was  eventful,  and  struck  its  lines  deep  into  the  char- 

"  Justin  Edwards,  son  of  Noah,  married  Elizabeth  Clark  in  1778. 
He  removed  to  Westhamptou,  where  his  wife  died,  December  6, 1792  ; 
and  he  married  Mary  Bartlet,  January  1, 1795,  a  niece  of  Phebe 
Bartlet,  whose  early  history  is  given  in  President  Edwards'  work 
on  Revivals.  He  died  October  6, 1816,  aged  sixty-four.  His  chil 
dren  by  the  first  wife  were  Dotia,  Jesse,  Justin,  (Rev.  Dr.  Edwards,) 
and  Elizabeth ;  and  by  the  second,  Sarah,  who  died  in  infancy,  Mary, 
and  William. 

"  Samuel  Edwards,  born  in  1716,  brother  of  Noah,  was  the  grand 
father  of  the  late  Rev.  Professor  Bela  B.  Edwards. 

"The  ancestors  of  Rev.  Dr.  Justin  Edwards  were  all  farmers,  in 
dustrious  men,  neither  rich  nor  poor,  and  nearly  all  of  them,  male 
and  female,  were  members  of  the  church,  and  they  were  all  persons 
of  good  character.  I  remember  Justin  Edwards,  senior,  of  West- 
hampton.  He  was  a  quiet  farmer  that  minded  his  own  business,  a 
man  of  few  words,  and  perfectly  honest. 

"SYLVESTER  JUDD. 

"NORTHAMPTON,  February  6,  1854." 
1* 


10  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

acter  and  history  of  this  worthy  youth.  As  the  tri 
umphs  of  the  gospel  in  the  seventeenth  century,  in 
the  days  of  Bunyan,  Baxter,  and  Flavel,  had  been 
followed — partly  through  the  blighting  influence  of 
the  Act  of  Uniformity,  which  for  twenty-five  years 
banished  from  their  pulpits  near  two  thousand  godly 
pastors — by  a  half  century  of  spiritual  dearth,  when 
God  again  poured  out  his  Spirit,  both  on  the  mother 
country  and  our  own,  in  the  days  of  Whitefield,  Wes 
ley,  Lady  Huntington,  President  Edwards,  Brainerd, 
and  the  Tennents,  about  the  year  1740;  so,  before 
the  close  of  another  half  century,  this  later  glorious 
work  of  God  was  succeeded  by  prevalent  declension. 
These  devoted  servants  of  Christ  had  rested  from  their 
labors  ;  men  of  zeal  without  knowledge  had  put  a  rash 
hand  to  the  ark ;  our  seven  years'  war  of  the  Revolu 
tion,  with  its  desolating  moral  effects,  had  intervened  ; 
French  Infidelity  had  entered  into  high  places,  and 
threatened  to  pervade  the  community  ;  the  life-giving 
influences  of  the  Spirit  had  been  withdrawn;  the 
greater  part  of  our  churches  had  sunk  into  formalism  ; 
in  many  of  them  the  necessity  of  being  born  again  by 
the  renewing  of  the  Spirit  was  overlooked ;  and  men 
without  prayer,  without  faith,  or  love,  claimed  admis 
sion  to  gospel  ordinances  on  the  so-called  "half-way 
covenant"  system,  reserving  to  themselves  the  right 
of  celebrating,  or  neglecting  the  Lord's  supper  at 
their  own  pleasure. 

The  church  at  Westhampton,  through  the  period 
of  the  childhood  and  youth  of  the  subject  of  this  me 
moir,  felt  this  unhappy,  pervading  influence:  essentially 
evangelical  in  doctrine,  but  without  revivals,  with- 


EARLY  LIFE.  11 

out  meetings  for  social  prayer ;  vital  piety,  on  the 
one  hand,  not  being  contemned,  and  on  the  other,  not 
regarded  as  a  prerequisite  to  membership.  Sixty  or 
seventy  years  had  elapsed  since  President  Edwards 
was  laboring  amid  showers  of  mercy  at  Northampton ; 
and  preached  the  sermons  constituting  his  "History 
of  Redemption,"  and  wrote  his  immortal  treatises  on 
Revivals.  A  majority  of  his  own  congregation,  as 
early  as  1750,  undervaluing  the  richest  gifts  of  divine 
grace,  had  effected  his  removal ;  and  darkness  and 
spiritual  dearth  again  lamentably  prevailed. 

Yet  the  savor  of  the  genuine  work  of  God  about 
1740  remained  in  many  churches  ;  and  multitudes  of 
God's  chosen  ones  were  walking  worthy  of  their  high 
calling.  At  that  day  many  an  eye  dimmed  with  age 
brightened,  and  many  a  furrowed  countenance  glowed 
with  new  life,  in  the  recital  of  well-remembered  scenes, 
when  the  thunders  of  Sinai,  and  the  moving  accents  of 
the  Saviour's  love  fell  from  the  lips  of  Whitefield,  or 
President  Edwards,  who  had  long  since  joined  the 
assembly  of  the  first-born  in  heaven. 

In  the  wonderful  providence  of  God,  the  death  of 
one  of  these  aged  worthies  was  the  means  of  life  to 
the  subject  of  this  memoir.  Those  familiar  with  Presi 
dent  Edwards'  "  Narrative  of  the  surprising  Work  of 
God  in  Northampton,"  remember  the  prominence  he 
gives  to  the  narrative  of  "  Phebe  Bartlet,"  a  dear  child 
five  years  old,  whom  he  could  not  but  regard  as  sav 
ingly  converted  to  God.  She  was  born  in  March, 
1731,  adorned  the  gospel  of  Christ  to  advanced  years, 
and  in  December,  1804,  at  the  age  of  nearly  seventy- 
four,  went,  with  her  pious  husband,  Mr.  Noah  Parsons, 


12  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

who  was  then  nearly  or  entirely  blind,  to  spend  a  few 
days  with  her  son  in  Westhampton,  who  was  a  near 
neighbor  of  Mr.  Justin  Edwards.  There  she  was 
taken  sick,  and  died  January  5, 1805.  Young  Justin 
kindly  assisted  in  ministering  to  the  wants  of  these 
aged  servants  of  Christ ;  and  as  he  heard  their  heav 
enly  conversation,  and  saw  the  dying  woman  calmly 
trusting  in  her  Saviour — willing  to  live,  or  go  to  be 
with  Him,  as  should  be  his  holy  will — and  saw  the 
divine  supports  that  sustained  the  bereaved  and  lonely 
husband,  he  said  to  himself,  Here  is  a  religion  that  I 
have  not,  and  that  I  must  have.  For  many  weeks  he 
said  nothing  to  any  one  of  his  religious  feelings  ;  he 
betook  himself  to  the  faithful  study  of  the  word  of 
God  and  to  prayer,  and  at  length  believed  that  he  had 
been  enabled  to  cast  himself  on  Christ  as  his  only  and 
all-sufficient  portion.  Thus  he  was  one  of  the  fruits, 
through  the  power  and  grace  of  Him  "  who  worketh 
all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will,"  of  "  The 
Great  Awakening  of  1740." 

But  another  heavenly  influence  was  to  come  in  to 
form  his  religious  character.  The  great  revival  of  the 
work  of  God  which  commenced  about  the  year  1800, 
which  exploded  from  all  our  evangelical  churches  the 
subterfuge  of  the  "half-way  covenant,"  and  gave  rise  to 
the  missionary  movements  of  the  age,  was  already  work 
ing  in  many  churches,  not  only  at  the  north,  but  at  the 
south  in  connection  with  the  labors  of  Dr.  Archibald 
Alexander  and  others,  and  extending  westward,  with 
calm  but  majestic  power,  characterized  by  a  depth  ami 
thoroughness  which  caused  the  most  incredulous  to 
acknowledge,  "  This  is  the  work  of  God."  The  "  Con- 


EARLY  LIFE.  13 

necticut  Evangelical  Magazine,"  issued  at  Hartford, 
which  heralded  the  progress  of  this  work,  was  widely 
circulated;  Southampton  was  visited  by  the  special 
influences  of  the  Spirit ;  and  soon  the  blessing  fell  on 
Westhampton.  The  pastor  and  members  of  the  church 
were  quickened ;  many  mourned  the  low  state  into 
which  they  had  fallen;  and  young  Edwards  gave  joy 
to  their  hearts  by  relating,  to  the  godly  and  the  im 
penitent  around  him,  what  he  hoped  God  had  done  for 
his  own  soul.  He  soon  began  to  seek  the  salvation  of 
others,  and  took  part  in  religious  meetings,  including 
meetings  of  the  young. 

About  this  time  he  commenced  teaching  the  centre 
school  in  Westhampton,  which  he  daily  opened  and 
closed  with  prayer,  and  in  which  an  unusual  religious 
interest  appeared.  Calmly  addressing  the  school  one 
morning  on  their  eternal  interests,  he  found  that  sighs 
and  sobs  were  pervading  the  room ;  and  the  pastor 
was  sent  for,  to  come  in  and  address  the  school  and 
pray  with  them.  These  facts  were  heard  with  wonder 
by  the  people ;  God  was  indeed  among  them  by  his 
Spirit,  and  "  forty  or  fifty "  were  added  to  the  church 
on  the  profession  of  their  faith.  A  Christian  lady, 
who  about  this  time  was  visiting  her  friends  in  West 
hampton,  well  remembers  that  "  much  was  said  of  his 
extraordinary  performances  in  the  meetings  for  prayer 
and  religious  conference ;"  and  to  the  questions, "  When 
was  he  converted  ?  How  long  has  he  been  a  Christian  ?" 
she  heard  the  reply,  "He  has  always  been  good — I 
think  he  was  sanctified  from  his  birth."  She  adds, "  There 
was  a  great  desire  to  see  and  hear  him  at  the  meet 
ings  ;  and  his  mother's  prayers  were  often  mentioned." 


14  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

In  April,  1806,  about  fifteen  months  after  he  wit 
nessed  the  happy  death  of  her  that  was  Phebe  Bart- 
let,  we  find  he  has  solemnly  consecrated  himself  to 
the  service  of  his  Kedeemer — a  service  to  which,  for 
forty-seven  years,  he  devoted  his  ceaseless  energies, 
till  it  was  said  of  him,  "  Blessed  are  the  dead  ....  for 
they  rest."  He  had  already  placed  himself  under  the 
instruction  of  his  kind  and  worthy  pastor,  the  Rev. 
Enoch  Hale,  an  accurate  -scholar,  who  ministered  to 
that  church  for  fifty  years  from  its  formation  in  1779, 
and  who  died  among  them  in  1837  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-three. 

In  this  month  we  have  the  first  record  from  his  pen, 
in  a  small  book  of  memoranda,  and  with  it  the  follow 
ing  document  written  and  subscribed  by  him. 

"  ETERNAL  AND  GLORIOUS  JEHOVAH — Wilt  thou 
permit  me,  who  am  a  sinful  worm  of  the  dust,  to 
present  myself  before  thee,  and  enable  me  by  thy 
grace,  with  the  deepest  humiliation,  self-abasement, 
and  contrition  of  soul,  to  surrender  myself  to  thee, 
both  soul  and  body,  which  is  my  most  reasonable  ser 
vice.  Through  Christ  Jesus,  thy  dear  Son,  who  will 
ingly  laid  down  his  life  for  sinners,  and  relying  sole 
ly  on  his  atonement  and  intercession,  0  enable  me 
by  faith  to  take  hold  of  the  new  covenant  of  grace, 
and  give  myself  up  to  thee,  and  cheerfully,  sincerely, 
and  unreservedly  to  consecrate  all  I  am  and  all  I 
have,  faculties  of  both  body  and  mind,  to  thy  service  ; 
and  may  I  be  enabled  by  thy  grace  to  renounce  the 
world,  with  all  its  prospects,  allurements,  and  vani 
ties,  to  place  no  dependence  upon  them,  and  humbly 
accept  of  the  Lord  Jehovah,  the  ever  blessed  God, 


EARLY  LIFE.  15 

Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  for  my  only  hope  and 
portion,  both  in  this  life  and  that  which  is  to  come. 

"  May  I  be  sensible  what  a  being  Thou  art,  and 
know  the  way  in  which  sinners  may  find  mercy  and 
acceptance  in  thy  sight.  Enable  me  to  embrace 
Christ  Jesus  as  he  is  offered  in  the  gospel,  and  place 
my  soul's  immortal  hope  in  Him,  who  is  alone  able 
to  save.  0  wash  my  soul  in  the  fountain  of  his 
blood,  and  interest  me  in  thy  covenant,  ordered  in 
all  things,  and  sure.  Use  me  as  an  instrument  in 
thy  hand  of  upbuilding  the  Redeemer's  kingdom  and 
advancing  thy  glory.  May  I  now  renewedly  resolve, 
by  thy  grace,  to  live  as  becometh  the  gospel  of 
Christ,  sensible  that  I  am  not  at  home  here  in  the 
body.  And  wilt  thou  clothe  my  naked  soul  with  the 
righteousness  of  Christ,  sanctify  me  by  thy  Spirit, 
and  may  I  be  united  to  the  blessed  Saviour  as  the 
branch  is  united  unto  the  vine.  May  I  not  depend 
on  my  own  strength,  but  on  thy  grace,  by  which  alone 
I  shall  be  enabled  to  perform  my  solemn  vows.  0, 
save  me  from  the  destroying  sin  of  hypocrisy,  and 
enable  me  to  know  my  own  heart;  and  wilt  thou 
search  and  try  me,  and  lead  me  in  the  way  everlast 
ing. 

"  Ever  direct  me  in  the  way  of  duty ;  and  when  the 
all-trying  hour  of  death  shall  come,  whether  sooner 
or  later,  0  may  I  be  found  ready,  with  my  loins  girt 
about,  my  lamp  trimmed  and  burning,  and,  through 
thy  boundless  grace  in  the  Saviour,  be  received  to  thy 
heavenly  kingdom,  where  thy  saints  worship  thee 
with  perfect  and  upright  hearts. 

"J.E.     April  24, 1806." 


16  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

The  little  book  of  memoranda  referred  to  con 
tains  first  a  list  of  works  read  for  one  year,  twenty- 
three  in  number,  all  religious,  and  most  of  them  high 
ly  spiritual,  including  Baxter's  Reformed  Pastor,  the 
Life  of  Brainerd,  Backus  on  Regeneration,  Dod- 
dridge's  Rise  and  Progress,  Edwards  on  the  Affec 
tions,  Fuller's  Gospel  its  Own  Witness,  Willison  on 
the  Lord's  Supper,  West  and  Littleton  on  the  Resur 
rection,  and  kindred  works,  with  one  of  systematic 
theology.  Such  reading  he  continued  diligently 
throughout  the  whole  course  of  his  literary  and  theo 
logical  studies  ;  and  it  is  well  known,  that  through  life 
he  took  an  active  part  in  the  wide  diffusion  of  such 
religious  works.  The  memoranda  comprise  also  a 
record  of  all  the  sermons  he  heard  during  the  year, 
the  classical  studies  he  pursued,  and  a  few  current 
incidents,  among  which  are  the  following  : 

"  APRIL  1,  1806.  I  yesterday  commenced  study 
ing  Latin." 

"  APRIL  27.  I  this  day  enter  upon  the  twentieth 
year  of  my  age.  Nineteen  years  of  my  mortal  life 
are  gone,  and  how  little  of  the  great  business  of  life 
has  been  performed  !" 

"MAY  4.   Thirty-one  persons  were  this  day  added 
to  the  church  of  Christ  in  Westhampton." 
"  MAY  10.    Began  to  study  Virgil." 
"  AUG.  22.    Began  the  Greek  Testament." 
"MAY  18,  1807.     Commenced  the  study  of  He 
brew." 

"  OCT.  3.    Ended  my  studies  with  Rev.  Mr.  Hale." 
"  OCT.  8.    Was  examined  and  admitted  into  the 
Sophomore  class  in  Williams  college." 


•   THE 

*P  T5  § 

EARLY   LIFE.     1\  *  17 

\v  C'A      °3 

His  father  not  only  was  unable   consistently  to 

support  him  in  acquiring  his  education,  but  had  a  de 
sire  to  retain  him  at  home  as  the  support  of  his  own 
advancing  years.  His  parents  furnished  his  clothing, 
no  small  part  of  it  made  by  the  hands  of  his  mother 
and  sister,  but  for  his  pecuniary  expenses  he  was 
mainly  thrown  upon  his  own  resources.  A  memoran 
dum  gives  these  as  $38  expended  in  the  preparatory 
course,  and  $287  in  college  ;  $55  70  as  received  from 
his  father,  and  the  remainder  he  paid  chiefly  by 
teaching,  at  intervals  during  the  progress  of  his  clas 
sical  studies,  and  after  their  close.  He  often  walked 
forty  miles,  from  Westhampton  to  Williamstown,  or 
returning,  and  so  vigorous  was  his  health,  and  so 
buoyant  his  spirits  in  view  of  the  object  before  him, 
that  he  scarcely  thought  of  its  being  a  burden. 

In  the  winter  vacation  of  his  first  year  in  college, 
we  find  he  was  teaching  in  Easthampton ;  the  suc 
ceeding  winter,  in  Holliston,  Mass. ;  and  many  are 
the  evidences  of  the  high  estimation  in  which  he  was 
held  by  his  pupils  and  their  parents,  and  the  pastors 
whose  hands  he  strengthened  by  his  consistent  Chris 
tian  deportment  and  influence. 

In  January,  1808,  we  find  a  letter  of  melancholy 
interest  addressed  to  him  by  his  class-mate,  the  late 
early  fallen  and  lamented  William  H.  Maynard,  of 
the  bar  and  senate  of  New  York ;  Edwards  and  he 
having  been  regarded  as  holding  the  first  standing 
in  the  class,  and  of  course  rivals  for  the  highest 
honors.  Maynard  was  then  teaching  in  Plainfield, 
Mass.,  where  he  fitted  for  college  with  the  Rev. 
Moses  Hallock,  whose  hospitable  abode  was  some- 


18  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

times  a  half-way  house  for  Edwards,  as  he  walked  -to 
and  from  college.  Maynard  writes  him  a  friendly 
letter,  withal  proposing  that  they  should  room  to 
gether  on  their  return  to  college ;  and  though  May 
nard  professed  no  special  interest  in  religion,  yet  as 
he  believed  it  would  be  gratifying  to  Edwards,  he 
gives  him,  much  as  a  minister  might  have  done,  in  a 
page  and  a  half  of  closely  written  foolscap,  a  minute 
description  of  a  powerful  revival  of  religion  then  en 
joyed  in  Plainfield,  describing  the  operation  and 
fruits  of  the  Spirit,  and  particular  cases  of  decided 
conversion,  though  making  no  allusion  whatever  to 
the  state  of  his  own  soul. 

In  college,  he  was  a  cheerful,  intelligent,  consist 
ent  Christian,  universally  respected  and  esteemed ; 
but  he  was  so  constantly  pressing  forward  his  studies, 
his  bodily  frame  being  so  energetic  and  his  health  so 
perfect  as  seemingly  to  require  neither  exercise  nor 
relaxation,  that  the  intimacies  he  formed  were  few. 
We  have  no  letter  from  his  pen  written  during  his 
college  course.  His  list  of  books  read  is  continued, 
and  shows  a  wide  range  of  subjects  ;  and  he  doubt 
less  urged  on  his  reading  and  studies,  no  less  when 
he  was  absent  in  teaching,  than  when  within  the  col 
lege  halls.  Besides  all  the  studies  and  exercises  of 
the  three  years'  course,  he  read  about  two  hundred 
volumes,  embracing,  beyond  the  range  of  strictly  re 
ligious,  devotional  works,  Lord  Bacon's  Essays,  New 
ton  on  Prophecy,  Prideaux  and  Shuckford's  Connec 
tions.  Locke  on  the  Human  Understanding,  Robin 
son's  Charles  Y.  and  America,  Marshall's  Life  of 
Washington,  Mavor's  Universal  History,  Hume  and 


EARLY  LIFE.  19 

Gibbon,  Reid  and  Stewart  on  the  Mind,  Edwards  on 
the  Will,  Milner's  Church  History,  Porteus'  Lectures, 
Paley's  Natural  and  Moral  Philosophy,  Butler's  Anal 
ogy,  Jews'  Letters  to  Yoltaire,  Montesquieu's  Spirit 
of  Laws,  Blackstone's  Commentaries,  Junius,  Addi- 
son's,  Franklin's,  and  Priestley's  works,  etc. 

The  orations  and  treatises  he  delivered  or  read  in 
college,  show  also  that  his  mind  was  not  limited  to  a 
single  range  of  subjects.  Among  the  topics  discussed, 
are  the  wonders  of  the  human  soul,  whether  certain 
crimes  ought  to  be  punished  with  death,  love  of  coun 
try,  instructions  to  representatives  in  Congress,  the 
measures  of  the  then  existing  political  administration, 
the  union  of  ecclesiastical  and  civil  power,  hereditary 
and  elective  monarchy  contrasted,  evidences  of  a  di 
vine  Providence  in  the  affairs  of  men,  the  work  of 
redemption  the  greatest  and  most  wonderful  of  the 
works  of  God,  a  funeral  oration  on  the  death  of  a 
class-mate,  and  the  valedictory  oration  on  the  Signs  of 
the  Times,  for  he  graduated  with  the  highest  honors  of 
his  class,  September  5,  1810. 

The  "  signs  of  the  times  "  were  indeed  then  por 
tentous.  Napoleon  Buonaparte  was  subjugating  king 
doms  at  his  will ;  our  country  was  on  the  eve  of  war 
with  Great  Britain  ;  every  man's  heart  quaked  with 
terror  ;  yet  the  speaker  points  to  the  great  mission 
ary  movements  of  the  age,  and  the  promises  of  God, 
as  indications  that  the  world's  redemption  drew  nigh. 

Feeling  the  obligation  to  repay  the  money  he  had 
borrowed  for  his  college  course,  he  again  devoted 
some  months  to  teaching,  in  Athens,  in  the  state  of 


•20  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

New  York,  and,  March  11,  1811,  joined  the  theologi 
cal  seminary  at  Andover. 

The  same  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  beginning 
about  the  year  1800,  which  had  reached  the  heart  of 
young  Edwards  in  Westhampton,  and  had  produced 
glorious  fruits  in  Western  Massachusetts  and  Connec 
ticut,  of  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  Griffin  said,  "I  could 
stand  at  the  door  of  my  house  in  New  Hartford,  Con 
necticut,  and  count  sixty  churches  laid  down  in  one 
field  of  divine  wonders,"  had  also  reached  Eastern 
Massachusetts,  where  deadness  and  spiritual  dearth 
had  long  and  lamentably  prevailed.  The  university 
at  Cambridge,  with  its  professor  of  theology,  had 
gone  over  to  the  open  denial  of  the  divinity  of  Christ ; 
in  the  city  of  Boston,  only  one  of  the  Congregational 
churches,  the  "  Old  South,"  maintained  the  doctrines 
of  the  cross,  and  men  of  God  were  moved  to  found 
the  Andover  seminary,  as  a  rampart  for  the  truth. 
Its  orthodoxy  was  so  offensive,  like  that  of  the  semi 
nary  at  Geneva,  under  Dr.  Merle  D'Aubigne  and 
Gaussen ;  or  the  burning  zeal  of  Whitefield  and  his 
associates,  about  the  year  1740,  both  in  Old  and  New 
England ;  or  of  the  Haldanes  in  Scotland,  that  the 
Legislature  of  the  state  of  Massachusetts  long  hesitat 
ed  to  grant  it  the  power  of  holding  sufficient  funds  ; 
it  being  placed  under  the  direction  of  the  trustees  of 
Phillips'  academy  and  a  board  of  visitors.  The  day 
was  one  of  trial.  Churches  were  separating  them 
selves  from  each  other  on  the  great  doctrines  centering 
in  the  supreme  divinity  of  our  Lord  and  Redeemer ; 
and  many  were  coming  out,  erecting  new  churches, 
and  supporting  themselves  as  separate  organizations. 


EARLY  LIFE.  21 

The  professor  of  rhetoric  elected  at  the  organization 
of  the  seminary  was  the  Kev.  Dr.  Griffin,  who  un 
sheathed  the  sword  of  truth,  and  wielded  it  with 
mighty  power,  as  he  had  done  for  ten  years  previous, 
amidst  wonderful  displays  of  divine  grace  ;  and  when 
he  was  transferred  to  Boston,  where  he  delivered  his 
celebrated  "  Park-street  Lectures,"  he  was  succeeded 
in  the  seminary  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ebenezer  Porter, 
wha  came  also  from  the  midst  of  the  great  revivals 
in  Connecticut,  and  with  his  hallowed  piety,  and 
beautifully  consistent  and  prayerful  life,  proclaimed 
Christ  crucified  with  trumpet  tongue,  till  he  rested 
from  his  earthly  labors.  The  other  professors  had 
devoted  their  lives  to  the  seminary  with  kindred 
views. 

In  the  interior  of  the  seminary,  the  influence  of 
the  revival  of  the  work  of  God  was  also  manifest  in 
the  hallowed  missionary  spirit.  Samuel  J.  Mills, 
Gordon  Hall,  and  James  Richards,  all  the  fruits  of 
that  outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  were  familiar  asso 
ciates  of  Edwards  in  Williams  college.  They  had 
there  privately  consecrated  themselves  personally  to 
foreign  missions,  and  of  them,  with  a  few  others,  Dr. 
Griffin  says,  "  On  the  banks  of  the  Hoosac,  under  the 
haystacks,  these  young  Elijahs  prayed  into  existence 
the  embryo  of  foreign  missions."  Arriving  at  An- 
dover,  Edwards  rejoined  these  missionary  pioneers, 
with  Dr.  Judson,  late  of  Burmah,  and  Nott  and  New 
ell,  who  were  the  six  men,  as  representatives  of 
whom  four  of  their  number  publicly  offered  them 
selves  to  the  General  Association  of  Massachusetts 
to  go  personally  to  the  heathen,  if  means  could  be 


22  REV.   JUSTIN    EDWARDS,   D.  D. 

provided  for  their  support,  which  was  the  commence 
ment  of  the  foreign  missionary  movement  in  this 
country.  The  heart  of  Edwards  beat  warmly  with 
theirs  ;  he  united  in  their  prayers  and  counsels,  which 
embraced  not  only  foreign  missions,  but  plans  for  sup 
plying  our  own  new  settlements,  and  western  and 
southern  frontiers.  But  before  he  had  decided  the 
question  whether  himself  to  go  to  the  heathen,  or  to 
the  remote  destitute  in  our  own  country,  divine  Prov 
idence  evidently  called  him  to  not  less  arduous  la 
bors  in  the  field  immediately  around  him.  He  was 
ardently  attached  to  the  missionary  enterprise ;  he 
ever  gave  it  his  prayerful  counsels  and  his  faithful 
personal  support ;  and,  his  plans  of  usefulness  through 
life  had  a  reach  as  wide  as  the  ruins  of  the  fall. 

In  the  seminary,  he  pursued  his  studies  and  prose 
cuted  his  reading  with  the  same  quenchless  zeal  as  in 
college ;  and  though  at  proper  times,  and  especially 
in  intimate  discussions  with  his  fellow-students,  the 
late  Rev.  Professors  Olds  and  Button,  Dr.  Timothy 
Woodbridge,  and  others,  he  broke  many  a  friendly 
lance  on  the  knotty  and  recondite  points  of  divinity, 
yet  the  characteristic  of  his  theological  course,  as  of 
his  future  life,  was,  that  he  made  THE  BIBLE,  in  its 
plain,  practical,  and  obvious  import,  his  great  text 
book.  In  the  public  exercises  of  the  seminary ;  in 
the  Wednesday  evening  conference,  when  the  pro 
fessors  and  students  met,  and  conversed  freely  on 
subjects  of  personal  religion,  and  the  practical  duties 
and  responsibilities  of  the  ministry  •  in  the  devotional 
meetings  of  the  students  ;  in  a  weekly  prayer-meeting 
at  the  centre  of  the  town,  where  he  frequently  led  in 


EARLY  LITE.  23 

prayer  and  spoke  of  Christ  and  his  salvation ;  in  meet 
ings  in  the  neighboring  towns,  as  there  was  oppor 
tunity;  and  in  social  intercourse  with  his  brethren, 
he  manifested  a  depth  of  piety,  maturity  of  judgment, 
wisdom,  and  discretion,  that  won  confidence,  and  in 
dicated  that  God  was  preparing  him  for  extensive 
usefulness  in  the  church. 

Not  many  months  had  elapsed,  when  the  venerable 
Samuel  Abbot,  Esq.,  of  Andover,  the  first  of  the 
princely  donors  who  laid  the  foundations  of  the  semi 
nary,  had  fixed  his  eye  on  Edwards,  in  whom  both 
he  and  Mrs.  Abbot  soon  became  deeply  interested, 
and  their  endeared  attachment  to  him  was  sundered 
only  by  death.  The  church  in  Andover,  to  which 
the  venerable  Rev.  Samuel  Phillips  had  ministered 
almost  sixty  years  from  its  formation  in  1711,  and 
then  the  Rev.  Jonathan  French  almost  thirty-seven 
years,  had  now  been  nearly  three  years  destitute 
of  a  pastor;  and  though  for  a  considerable  period 
the  "half-way  covenant"  system  had  in  this  church 
been  laid  aside,  those  wishing  to  join,  whose  lives 
were  inoffensive,  and  especially  if  they  had  family 
worship,  were  admitted  without  insisting  on  evidence 
of  a  vital  union  with  Christ  by  faith;  and  a  revi 
val  of  religion  like  those  in  the  days  of  President 
Edwards,  and  those  which  had  already  marked  the 
beginning  of  this  century,  is  not  known  to  have  been 
there  enjoyed.  A  somewhat  serious  division  was 
existing  in  the  congregation,  turning  on  the  vital 
points  of  evangelical  truth,  and  from  time  to  time  the 
pulpit  had  recently  been  supplied  by  men  "  denying  the 
Lord  that  bought  us."  Mr.  Abbot  and  others  were 


24  UEV.   JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

alarmed  for  the  interests  of  the  congregation ;  and 
after  becoming  satisfied  of  the  qualifications  of  Mr. 
Edwards,  the  wish  was  expressed  to  him,  that  he 
should  leave  the  seminary,  though  scarcely  half 
through  the  regular  course,  assume  the  charge  of  a 
congregation  of  not  far  from  2,000  souls,  scattered 
over  a  large  territory ;  attempt  to  heal  their  divis 
ions;  and  all  with  the  expectation  that  his  revered 
instructors  and  his  fellow-students  would  be  among 
his  constant  hearers.  The  attachment  of  the  evan 
gelical  part  of  the  congregation  increased ;  the  more 
they  knew  and  heard  him,  the  warmer  was  their  love ; 
the  professors,  fearing  the  consequences  if  he  denied 
their  request,  gave  their  unanimous  consent ;  the  stu 
dents  concurred  in  what  they  believed  so  wise  a 
choice  ;  and  the  young  man  was  pressed  above  meas 
ure  to  know  what  truly  were  the  "indications  of 
Providence,"  which  then  and  ever  he  sought  to  fol 
low,  with  no  contravening  will  of  his  own. 

Having  been  licensed  to  preach,  May  12,  1812, 
and  the  committee  for  supplying  the  pulpit  having 
made  some  overtures  with  reference  to  a  call,  he 
wrote  them  the  following  letter,  addressed  to  "  Dea 
con  Daniel  Poor,  chairman  of  the  committee  for  sup 
plying  the  pulpit  in  the  south  parish  in  Andover  :" 

"ANDOVER,  June  29,  1812. 

"  DEAR  SIR — It  is  undoubtedly  the  duty  of  every 
person,  to  pursue  that  course  of  conduct  which  will 
best  advance  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  man 
kind;  and  the  person  whose  heart  is  right,  will  re 
solve  to  follow  the  path  of  duty,  wherever  it  may 
go.  But  where  the  path  of  duty  leads,  or  what  course 


EARLY  LIFE.  25 

of  conduct  will  on  the  whole  best  advance  the  glory 
of  God  and  the  good  of  mankind,  is  a  question  some 
times  difficult  to  decide.  Upon  this  subject,  as  well 
as  all  others,  every  person  stands  in  need  of  divine 
guidance  and  direction. 

"  God  sees  fit  to  leave  the  path  of  duty  sometimes 
doubtful,  that  we  may  be  sensible  of  our  dependence, 
and  that  we  need  divine  guidance,  as  well  as  divine 
support.  This  is  especially  the  case  with  a  minister 
of  the  gospel  in  this  land  at  the  present  day,  when 
there  are  hundreds  of  churches  which  once  had  pastors, 
but  now  are  destitute ;  thousands  of  new  settlements 
which  never  statedly  enjoyed  the  ordinances  of  the 
gospel,  and  are  literally  starving  for  the  bread  of 
life.  When  there  are  thousands  of  heathen  on  our 
borders,  millions  in  America,  and  hundreds  of  mill 
ions  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  whose  souls  are  as 
precious,  and  who  need  salvation  as  much  as  our 
friends  and  acquaintance,  it  is  not  easy  for  a  minister 
to  decide  where  he  must  labor,  in  order  to  do  the 
most  good.  He  must  therefore  seek  for  divine  di 
rection,  and  follow  the  indications  of  Providence. 
But  a  minister,  in  order  to  be  useful  and  faithful  to 
the  souls  of  men  in  any  place,  needs  much  prepara 
tion.  He  must  be  a  scribe  well  instructed  into  things 
which  pertain  to  the  kingdom  of  God ;  must  be  well 
acquainted  with  the  Bible,  with  the  character  of  man, 
and  the  way  of  salvation  which  he  must  preach  to 
others.  And  at  this  day,  when  iniquity  is  coming  in 
like  a  flood ;  when  the  Christian  world  is  divided, 
both  with  respect  to  the  character  of  God,  and  the 
character  of  man ;  when  our  American  churches  are 

Edward*.  2 


26  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS.  D.D. 

rent  into  parties,  and  the  watchmen  do  not  see  eye 
to  eye,  but  preach  different  ways  of  salvation ;  and 
when  there  is  and  can  be  but  one  way  of  life,  and  that 
so  strait  and  narrow,  that  our  Saviour  said,  'Few 
there  be  that  find  it ;'  it  is  especially  necessary  that 
a  minister  be  well  acquainted  with  divine  truth,  with 
the  character  of  man,  and  the  plan  of  salvation 
through  a  Redeemer. 

"  It  has  therefore  been  a  question  which  has 
rested  with  great  weight  on  my  mind,  since  I  engaged 
to  preach  in  this  place,  whether  I  ought  to  go  into 
the  ministry  immediately,  or  spend  a  longer  time  in 
preparation.  But  as  I  am  a  mere  child  in  theology, 
and  have  lately  begun  to  study  it  in  a  manner  which 
I  hope  will  be  important  to  the  church  and  the 
world,  I  think  it  my  duty  to  pursue  the  course  for 
the  present,  and  spend  a  longer  time  in  study,  before 
I  settle  in  the  ministry.  I  therefore  request  that 
nothing  be  done  towards  giving  me  a  call  to  settle  in 
this  place. 

"  But  viewing  your  highly  important  situation  in 
the  church,  the  long  time  you  have  been  without  a 
minister,  and  the  evils  to  which  a  people  in  this  situ 
ation  are  always  exposed ;  remembering  also  the 
kindness,  respect,  and  affection,  with  which  I  have 
been  treated  while  among  you,  and  your  ardent  de 
sires  to  obtain  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  my  heart 
beats  with  emotion  which  can  be  felt,  but  never  de 
scribed.  And  I  hope  that  I  can  join  with  you  in 
looking  to  the  great  Head  of  the  church,  that  you  may 
have  a  faithful  minister  sent  among  you,  one  in  whom 
your  hearts  can  be  united  ;  who  shall  know  the  way 


EARLY  LIFE.  27 

of  life,  have  an  ardent  love  for  souls,  and  who  shall 
watch  for  them  as  one  who  expects  to  render  an  ac 
count  ;  who  shall  be  a  rich  blessing  for  a  long  time 
to  come,  and  at  last  meet  you  and  your  children  on 
the  right  hand  of  Christ. 

'  "With  great  respect  and  esteem, 

"Your  brother  in  Christ, 

«J.  EDWARDS." 

Notwithstanding  the  reception  of  the  above  letter, 
the  church,  on  the  24th  of  July,  gave  him  a  call  by  a 
vote  of  "  49,  and  3  neuter,"  and  on  the  10th  of  Au 
gust  the  parish  united  in  it  by  a  vote  of  "  163,  and 
19  in  the  negative."  A  letter  to  him,  September  1, 
from  a  deacon  of  the  church,  says,  "  It  is  impossible 
to  conceive  the  evils  which  would  probably  result 
from  a  negative.  While  we  wish  your  mind  to  be  at 
liberty  to  weigh  the  important  subject  in  all  its  bear 
ings,  we  cannot  refrain  from  expressing  our  own  con 
victions,  that  the  almost  unanimous  call  of  this 
church  and  society,  so  long  distracted  and  in  danger 
of  dissolution,  must  be  considered  as  the  call  of  heav 
en."  The  following  shows  his  acceptance  of  their 
call ;  and  he  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  on  the 
2d  of  December. 

"  ANDOVEE,  Oct.  3, 1812. 

"  To  the  Church  and  Society  in  the  south  parish  of  Andover : 

"DEAR  BRETHREN  AND  FRIENDS — The  invitation 
which  you  gave  me,  to  settle  with  you  in  the  work  of 
the  gospel  ministry,  has  been  a  subject  of  serious  con 
sideration.  Although  I  had  not  intended  to  settle  in 
any  place  at  present,  yet  so  unanimous  a  call,  in  so 
favorable  circumstances,  and  from  so  important  a 


28  HEV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

society,  could  not  but  demand  the  most  serious  atten 
tion.  I  have  therefore  viewed  the  subject  in  its 
various  bearings  and  relations,  have  consulted  with 
friends  of  Christ  in  this  and  other  parts  of  the  coun 
try,  and  have  often  implored  divine  guidance  and 
direction. 

"  After  the  most  careful  inquiry  concerning  the 
will  of  God,  I  have  concluded  to  accept  your  invita 
tion,  and  to  labor  for  you,  and  for  Christ,  in  this  part 
of  his  vineyard.  But  on  account  of  my  present  state 
of  health,  and  the  very  short  time  which  I  have  had 
to  prepare  for  the  ministry,  I  must  accept  your  invi 
tation  under  the  following  condition,  namely,  that  I 
shall  have  opportunity  to  devote  myself  to  study  until 
the  month  of  April. 

"  Brethren,  I  commend  you  and  myself  unto  God, 
beseeching  him  that  the  consequences  of  this  decision 
may  be  such  as  he  shall  approve,  such  as  we  shall 
review  with  pleasure  in  this  life,  and  with  unspeak 
able  joy  in  the  life  to  come. 

"I  ask  also  an  interest  in  your  prayers,  that  I 
may  have  the  presence  of  God,  the  assistance  of  his 
Spirit,  and  a  single  eye  to  his  glory ;  that  I  may  feel 
the  worth  of  souls,  and  watch  for  them  as  one  who 
expects  to  render  an  account  j  that  I  may  be  faithful 
unto  death,  and  at  last  meet  you  and  your  children 
on  the  right  hand  of  Christ. 

"  With  abiding  affection, 

"  Yours,  in  the  Lord, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

Ladies  of  the.  congregation  having  presented  him 
garments  which  they  deemed  appropriate  for  the  in 
stallation,  he  thus  acknowledged  their  kindness. 


EARLY  LIFE.  29 

"  Feeling  myself  under  peculiar  obligations,  I  cheer 
fully  express  my  warmest  gratitude  to  the  benevolent 
females  who  have  manifested  their  kindness  and  lib 
erality,  in  presenting  me  suitable  garments  for  the 
ordination  and  other  public  occasions. 

"I  receive  them  as  a  new  token  of  that  kindness 
and  respect  which  I  have  so  frequently  experienced 
since  my  residence  in  Andover.  Although  I  came  to 
this  place  a  stranger,  and  expected  to  leave  it  in  that 
character,  yet  that  Being  who  should  always  be  our 
director,  appears  at  present  to  determine  otherwise. 
And  while  I  view  the  events  of  his  providence,  it 
kindles  peculiar  emotions  to  see  him  providing  me, 
notwithstanding  all  my  unworthiness,  such  a  number 
of  friends.  And  it  affords  great  satisfaction  to  reflect, 
that  although  I  may  not  be  able  to  reward  them  for 
all  their  kindness,  yet  if  it  is  the  fruit  of  that  disposi 
tion  which  charity  hopes  and  the  Saviour  requires,  it 
will  meet  an  abundant  reward. 

"Knowing  it  to  be  necessary  that  all  be  provided 
with  suitable  garments,  I  have  observed  with  the  deep 
est  regret  that  many  appear  to  be  destitute.  They 
are  provided  with  a  suitable  garment  for  the  ordina 
tion,  and  such  public  occasions ;  but  you  recollect  we 
are  soon  to  assemble  on  another  occasion,  called  'the 
marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb/  where  there  will  be  a 
very  large  assembly  not  only  of  our  friends  and  con 
nections  and  the  people  in  this  vicinity,  but  all  of 
every  kindred  and  tongue  and  people  and  nation  un 
der  heaven.  For  this  important  occasion  many  have 
no  garment,  and  as  they  have  only  a  few  days  to 
provide  one,  I  fear  they  never  will  obtain  it.  Having 


30  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

had  evidence  of  your  kindness  and  liberality,  I  am 
encouraged  to  request  you  to  afford  them  your  united 
assistance.  The  garment  for  this  occasion  is  peculiar, 
and  is  called  the  'righteousness  of  Christ;'  and  he  is 
the  only  person  in  the  universe  who  can  provide  it. 
Viewing  the  distress  and  anguish  which  all  will  be 
in  who  are  not  clothed  with  this  garment,  he  has  kindly 
provided  enough  for  us  all.  They  are  now  all  com 
pleted  and  deposited  in  Emmanuel's  wardrobe,  but  they 
are  so  costly  and  valuable  that  not  one  can  ever  be 
purchased.  The  only  way  for  a  persqn  to  obtain  one, 
is  to  feel  his  need  of  it ;  be  sensible  that  he  is  altogether 
unworthy  to  receive  it,  and  without  it  is  undone  ;  and 
in  the  character  of  a  suppliant  make  application  to 
Christ.  But  as  this  garment  is  worn  only  by  a  few, 
and  is  at  present  unfashionable,  those  who  are  destitute 
feel  no  need  of  it,  and  make  no  exertion  to  obtain  it. 
This  renders  their  case  doubly  distressing ;  for  so  long 
as  they  remain  ignorant  of  their  need,  so  long  they  will 
remain  destitute  of  a  garment  for  the  great  day. 

"  I  therefore  entreat  you,  dear  friends,  to  compas 
sionate  their  case,  and  propose  that  we  all  make  a 
united  application  to  Christ  for  them.  And  as  the 
greater  the  number  who  at  the  same  time  make  applica 
tion,  the  greater  will  be  the  prospect  of  success,  let  us 
invite  our  friends  and  neighbors  and  acquaintances  to 
join  in  the  request.  Although  it  be  not  necessary  that 
a  number  be  in  the  same  place,  yet  it  is  desirable,  and 
will  increase  the  prospect  of  success,  for  all  to  make 
application  at  the  same  time  and  for  the  same  object. 
I  therefore  propose  that  the  time,  or  a  part  of  it, 
between  the  hours  of  eight  and  nine,  on  Saturday 


EARLY  LIFE.  31 

evening,  unless  some  other  time  be  thought  more  con 
venient,  .be  weekly  and  sacredly  devoted  to  this 
benevolent  object ;  that  all  who  have  a  heart  to  feel, 
or  a  tongue  to  pray,  may  at  the  same  time  unite  in 
fervent  supplications  to  the  Friend  of  sinners,  that  He 
would  have  compassion  upon  them,  and  lead  them  to 
see  their  condition  while  there  is  hope,,  and  make 
application  to  Him  before  it  be  for  ever  too  late  ;  that 
He  would  give  them  repentance  to  salvation,  and 
clothe  them  with  the  robe  of  his  righteousness,  which 
shall  fit  them  to  enter  the  gates  of  life,  and  sit  down 
with  his  redeemed  at  the  marriage-supper  of  the 
Lamb. 

"  The  course  here  proposed  is  one  that  has  been 
pursued  with  glorious  success  by  multitudes  who  have 
gone  before  us,  and  we  have  the  most  abundant  encour 
agement  to  follow  their  example.  Should  a  single 
individual  obtain  a  garment  for  the  great  day  in  con 
sequence  of  our  endeavors,  we  shall  perform  an  act  of 
charity  which  heaven  will  approve ;  and  should  the 
hand  which  procures  the  favor  at  present  be  concealed, 
eternity  will  acknowledge  the  deed.'7 


32  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 


CHAPTER  II. 

HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER. 

FIRST    FIVE    YEARS,  1812—1817. 

IN  a  few  transient  leaves  of  memoranda  of  pastoral 
visits  and  other  daily  engagements  at  the  commence 
ment  of  his  ministry,  we  find  the  following : 

"DECEMBER  2,  1812 — Was  this  day  examined  and 
ordained  by  an  ecclesiastical  council  from  this  vicinity, 
consisting  of  thirteen  clergymen  and  twenty-one  lay 
men.  Oh,  how  amazing  the  responsibility  of  watch 
ing  for  souls.  0  Immanuel,  may  thy  grace  be  sufficient 
for  me,  and  thy  strength  be  made  perfect  in  weakness. 
Grant  me,  0  Lord,  an  ardent  love  to  thee  and  to  the 
souls  of  men ;  and  glorify  thyself  in  multiplying  tro 
phies  of  redeeming  mercy,  and  saving  the  souls  of  sin 
ners  in  this  place.  May  I  live  to  glorify,  and  be  pre 
pared  with  all  thy  redeemed  to  enjoy  thee  for  ever. 
0  thou  everlasting  Jehovah,  make  me  wise  as  a  ser 
pent  and  harmless  as  a  dove.  Teach  me  so  to  num 
ber  my  days  that  I  may  apply  my  heart  unto  wisdom. 
Guide  me  by  thy  counsel,  and  afterwards  receive  me 
to  glory  through  Jesus  Christ.  Amen." 

On  the  succeeding  Sabbath,  December  6,  in  the 
opening  of  the  first  sermon  addressed  to  his  people  as 
their  pastor,  from  the  text,  " Preach  the  gospel"  he  said 
to  them : 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  33 

"The  connection  which  God  in  his  providence  has 
formed  between  you  and  me  by  the  transactions  of  the 
last  week,  bears  a  solemn  and  immediate  relation  to 
the  welfare  of  the  soul  and  to  eternity.  It  will  deeply 
affect  our  happiness,  both  here  and  hereafter.  It 
involves  consequences  which  will  go  with  us  through 
life,  surround  us  at  death,  attend  us  to  the  judgment, 
and  encircle  us  through  eternity.  Were  it  to  affect 
us  only  in  this  life,  or  only  for  a  thousand,  or  ten  thou 
sand  years,  it  would  be  as  nothing.  But  on  the  conse 
quences  of  this  connection  I  see  inscribed,  FOR  EVER, 

FOR  EVER. 

"  Multitudes  who  will  outlive  the  sun,  who  are  heirs 
of  endless  existence,  and  will  spend  it,  rising  for  ever 
in  the  world  of  life,  or  sinking  for  ever  in  the  world 
of  death,  -are  committed  to  the  watchman's  charge. 
How  overwhelming  the  responsibility !  To  watch  foi 
souls,  sound  the  trumpet  of  alarm,  and  beseech  them 
to  awake  from  the  slumber  of  death;  uncover  the 
world  of  darkness ;  show  the  region  of  light ;  exhibit 
their  danger,  and  point  out  the  way  and  the  motives 
to  escape  it ;  to  beseech  fellow-men  to  be  reconciled 
unto  God,  when  the  message  will  be  a  savor  of  life 
unto  life,  or  of  death  unto  death,  to  all  who  hear  it ; 
to  be  an  ambassador  of  God  commissioned  to  negotiate 
with  men  about  the  honors  of  heaven  and  crowns  of 
unfading  glory,  is  a  work  too  great  for  men,  too  great 
for  angels;  none  but  Christ  is  sufficient  for  it;  and 
had  He  not  said,  '  Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  to 
the  end  of  the  world/  no  minister  would  have  any 
prospect  of  success.  Without  Christ,  the  strongest 
can  do  nothing  ;  and  with  Christ,  the  weakest  can  do 

2* 


34  &EV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

all  things ;  for  He  says,  '  My  strength  is  made  perfect 
in  weakness.7  Most  gladly  therefore  will  I  rejoice  in 
weakness,  that  the  power  of  Christ  may  rest  upon  me. 
Had  I  the  ardor  of  Paul,  and  the  eloquence  of  Apol- 
los ;  yea,  more,  had  I  the  tongue  of  angels,  and  could 
speak  in  the  dialect  of  eternity,  it  would  accomplish 
nothing.  In  the  salvation  of  souls,  CHRIST  AND  HIS 
SPIRIT  must  do  the  work,  and  to  Him  be  all  the  glory. 
Instead  therefore  of  sinking  in  despair,  or  drawing 
back  from  the  arduous  work,  I  would  rest  on  the  arm 
of  Jehovah,  and  inquire,  'Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do?'" 

Having  shown  the  import  of  the  divine  command 
to  "preach  the  gospel"  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation,  to 
men  condemned  to  eternal  death  by  the  holy  law  of 
God :  to  preach  "  Christ  the  mediator  of  the  new 
covenant,  with  all  the  glory  of  his  Godhead,  in  the 
form  of  a  servant  offering  himself  to  Justice  as  the 
meritorious  ground  of  salvation;  the  Holy  Spirit  as 
the  Being  who  creates  anew  in  Christ  Jesus  and  pre 
pares  the  soul  to  enjoy  this  salvation;  repentance, 
faith,  and  obedience  as  the  only  way  to  obtain  it;  and 
the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  men  as  the  object  for 
which  it  is  given/7  he  proceeds  to  say,  "This  exhibi 
tion  of  the  author  and  finisher  and  subject  and  way 
and  end  of  salvation,  is  all  contained  in  THE  BIBLE. 
This,  by  way  of  eminence,  is  '  the  gospel/  which  every 
minister  is  to  'preach.7  It  is  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
to  which  we  do  well  to  take  heed.  It  is  a  light  given 
on  purpose  to  shine  in  a  dark  place ;  and  to  guide  all 
penitent  believing  souls  through  this  wilderness  to  the 
heavenly  rest.  In  the  Bible  the  course  of  a  minister^ 


HIS  MINISTER  IN  ANDOVER.  35 

preaching  is  not  only  sketched,  but  clearly  drawn  by 
the  pencil  of  inspiration;  and  the  man  or  the  angel 
who  dares  to  alter  it,  is  charged  with  rebellion  against 
his  Maker.1' 

Proceeding  with  the  discussion  in  successive  dis 
courses,  he  was  guided  from  on  high  to  lay  down,  at 
the  outset  of  his  ministry,  the  grand  principle  which 
was  the  key-note  of  all  his  future  instructions:  "A 

MINISTER  MUST  PREACH  THE  DOCTRINES  AND  DUTIES  OF 

THE  BIBLE  IN  THEIR  OWN  INSPIRED  CONNECTION.  These 
doctrines  and  duties  are  all  connected  together,  hold 
their  proper  place,  and  when  viewed  in  their  connec 
tion  appear  harmonious  and  consistent,  divinely  cal 
culated  to  bring  '  glory  to  God  in  the  highest/  and 
salvation  to  the  lost  children  of  men.  When  a  par 
ticular  doctrine  is  taken  out  of  its  place,  and  viewed 
without  its  connection,  it  may  appear  inconsistent,  and 
perhaps  unreasonable  ;  but  in  its  proper  place,  and  in 
its  divinely  inspired  connection,  the  inconsistency  is 
done  away.  The  doctrines  of  the  gospel  all  rest  upon 
one  foundation ;  they  are  connected  together,  and  form 
one  harmonious,  consistent  whole  ;  but  unless  viewed 
in  their  connection,  the  consistency,  harmony,  fitness, 
and  propriety  which  mark  their  divinity,  cannot  be 
seen.  However  much  the  true  doctrines  of  the  Bible 
may  be  opposed  by  the  feelings  of  natural  men,  and 
however  much  they  may  hate  them ;  yet  if  they  were 
viewed  in  their  connection,  with  that  clearness  with 
which  all  will  behold  them  at  the  judgment,  '  every 
mouth  would  be  stopped,  and  the  whole  world  become 
guilty  before  God.' ;? 

He  goes  on  to  illustrate  the  principle  by  showing 


36  REV.   JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

the  relations  of  great  foundation  truths  of  the  gospel 
to  each  other — truths  which,  when  understood  by  the 
man  whose  heart  is  opposed  to  God,  may  cause  him, 
"  without  any  handwriting  upon  the  wall,"  to  "  quake 
like  Belshazzar  when  weighed  in  the  balance  and 
found  wanting  j"  but  which  to  the  humble,  believing 
child  of  God,  are  a  source  of  unspeakable  joy. 

He  then  proceeds  to  apply  the  subject  by  showing 
that  every  doctrine  and  every  duty  of«  the  Bible  which 
God  has  enjoined  upon  the  minister,  devolves  a  cor 
responding  responsibility  upon  his  people.  If  he  must 
be  a  friend  of  God  and  love  the  truth  he  declares,  so 
must  they.  If  he  must  be  acquainted  with  his  own 
heart,  so  must  they.  If  he  must  be  constantly  present 
to  preach,  so  must  they  be  to  hear.  If  he  must  make 
the  Bible,  and  not  his  own  feelings,  the  standard  of  his 
preaching,  so  must  they.  If  he  must  illustrate  and 
enforce  all  its  doctrines  and  duties,  just  as  God  has 
revealed  them,  because  he  has  declared  them  to  be 
"  given  by  inspiration  and  profitable ;"  so  must  they  for 
the  same  reason  receive,  love,  and  obey  them.  If  he 
must  live  a  life  of  prayer,  so  must  they.  If  he  must 
prayerfully  study  the  Bible,  and  when  he  has  learned 
what  doctrines  and  precepts  are  contained  there, 
must  faithfully  declare  them;  so  must  they  "search 
the  Scriptures,"  and  reject  no  truth  which  God  has 
revealed.  If  he  must  practice  as  well  as  preach,  and 
manifest  in  his  conduct  that  he  has  been  with  Christ, 
so  must  they  in  all  things  show  a  sacred  and  inviolable 
regard  to  duty.  The  great  inquiry  for  pastor  and 
people  is,  "  What  doth  the  Lord  thy  God  require  of 
thee?" 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  37 

The  following  practical  rules  for  the  direction  of 
his  own  life,  which  at  his  death  were  found  in  his 
handwriting  in  his  pocket-book,  and  which  he  had 
evidently  kept  by  him  for  a  long  course  of  years,  seem 
to  have  been  seriously  regarded  throughout  the  whole 
of  his  public  career. 

RULES  OF  LIFE. 

"1.  Act  at  all  times  as  in  the  presence  of  God ; 
and  make  it  the  great  object,  in  all  things  to  please 
him.  In  order  to  this, 

"  2.  Seek  first  of  all  to  gain  clear  views  of  his  will, 
and  with  regard  to  all  things  to  be  perfectly  conformed 
to  it.  And  in  doing  this, 

"  3.  Cherish  no  thoughts,  indulge  no  feelings,  speak 
no  words,  and  do  no  actions,  but  what  you  really  think, 
after  all  the  light  that  you  can  gain,  will  most  honor 
God,  most  benefit  yourself  and  others,  and  give  you 
the  greatest  joy  when  they  come  to  be  exhibited  before 
the  assembled  universe  at  the  judgment-day. 

"  4.  Begin  and  end  each  day  by  a  season  of  com 
munion  with  God,  and  by  a  solemn  and  hearty  com 
mitment  of  yourself  and  all  your  interests,  temporal 
and  eternal,  to  his  guidance,  care,  and  disposal. 

"  5.  Daily  read  with  deep  attention  and  fervent 
prayer  a  portion  of  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the  pur 
pose  of  understanding,  believing,  and  obeying  it. 

"6.  .Never  express  or  indulge  the  least  degree  of 
unkindness  towards  any  human  being,  and  give  no 
needless  pain  to  any  of  the  human  race,  or  any  even  of 
the  animal  creation. 

"7.  Make  it  your  object  to  promote  the  greatest 


38  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

happiness  on  the  whole  of  all  upon  whom  you  may 
have  influence,  both  of  the  present  and  of  all  future 
generations. 

"8.  Regard  the  hand  of  God  in  all  the  dispensa 
tions  of  his  providence,  and  in  whatsoever  state  he 
places  you,  therewith  be  content. 

"9.  Envy  none  who  are  above  you,  and  despise 
none  who  are  below  you ;  but  possess  and  manifest  the 
utmost  good  will  towards  all  men. 

"  10.  Never  speak  of  any,  or  feel  towards  them  in 
a  manner  that  you  ought  not  to  wish  them,  under  sim 
ilar  circumstances,  to  speak  or  feel  with  regard  to  you. 

"11.  Let  all  statements  and  narrations  be  an  exact 
exhibition  of  the  real  truth. 

"12.  Act  for  God,  for  the  universe,  and  for  eter 
nity  ;  and  in  such  a  manner  as  is  adapted  to  promote 
the  highest  good  for  ever.  In  order  to  this, 

"13.  Look  habitually  to  Jesus  Christ;  let  your 
whole  soul  be  imbued  with  his  spirit,  and  manifest  it 
in  all  your  actions. 

"  14.  Look  to  the  Holy  Ghost  as  the  author  of  all 
good  in  man;  seek  habitually  his  teaching,  his  illu 
minating  and  purifying  influences;  and  that  he  may 
dwell  in  you  as  his  temple,  and  take  full  possession  of 
all  your  powers  and  talents  for  himself. 

"  15.  Earnestly  desire  that  he  would  take  of  the 
things  of  Christ  and  more  and  more  show  them  unto 
you ;  and  carefully  avoid  every  thing  which  tends  to 
hinder  you  from  becoming  perfectly  like  him. 

"16.  Make  it  as  your  meat  and  drink  to  do  the 
will  of  God,  and  perseveringly  have  respect  to  all  his 
commandments. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  39 

"17.  Feel  and  acknowledge  that  all  the  good  that 
you  ever  have  received,  that  you  now  receive,  or  ever 
will  receive,  is  of  grace  through  Jesus  Christ ;  trust  in 
him  for  all  which  you  need,  both  for  this  life  and  the 
life  to  come  ;  rely  on  his  merits,  imitate  his  example, 
and  in  view  of  every  blessing  give  Him  and  the  Father 
and  the  Holy  Ghost  all  the  glory.'7 

Having  assumed  the  high  responsibilities  of  a  pas 
toral  charge  embracing  not  far  from  two  thousand 
souls,  chiefly  a  farming  community,  spread  over  a  ter 
ritory  about  eight  miles  by  four  in  extent,*  with  no 
other  church  organization  within  its  bounds  j  the  people 
all  looking  to  him  as  the  pastor,  not  only  to  sustain  the 
public  ministrations  of  the  Lord's  house,  but  to  visit 
them  at  their  own  abodes,  and  be  with  them  in  sorrow 
and  in  joy ;  he  entered  on  the  fulfilment  of  these  sacred 
duties  with  an  impulse  and  energy  doubtless  kindled 
from  on  high.  To  every  soul,  whether  of  the  rich  or 
the  poor,  from  the  most  aged  trembling  under  the 
weight  of  years,  down  to  the  little  child,  he  felt  that 
he  was  "debtor;"  and  he  was  enabled  to  pursue  his 
ministerial  work  with  a  fidelity,  Christian  discretion, 
and  adaptation  to  the  wants  of  all,  that  concentrated 
upon  him  their  respect,  affection,  and  confidence ;  and 
showed  that  he  had  been  endued  with  preeminent 
qualifications  to  "feed  the  church  of  God  which  he 
hath  purchased  with  his  own  blood." 

*  Andover  lies  twenty  miles  north  of  Boston,  and  nearly  at  the 
same  distance  from  Salem  and  Newburyport.  It  is  on  the  direct 
road  from  Boston  to  the  capital  of  New  Hampshire,  and  is  now 
penetrated  by  the  Boston  and  Maine  railroad.  The  present  popu 
lation  of  the  town  is  upwards  of  seven  thousand. 


40  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

Except  brief  memoranda  of  the  engagements  of 
each  day  for  three  short  periods,  he  made  no  record 
of  his  abundant  labors  throughout  his  pastoral  life; 
evidently  "  having  respect  unto  the  recompense  of  the 
reward,"  when  he  should  give  an  account  of  his  stew 
ardship  ;  and  too  intent-  on  the  duties  of  each  passing 
day  and  hour  to  have  time  or  strength  to  write  what 
they  were,  or  how  they  were  performed.  But  there 
are  enduring  records  in  the  grateful,  glowing  hearts 
of  many  of  his  surviving  people,  in  the  historic  facts 
of  divisions  healed ;  opposition  to  "  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus"  allayed;  a  slumbering  people  spiritually 
aroused;  intemperance  removed;  the  Sabbath  honor 
ed  ;  the  s*anctuary  filled  with  solemn  worshippers ;  the 
family  altar  erected;  the  Sabbath-schools;  the  Bible- 
classes  ;  the  organizations  among  male  and  female,  old 
and  young,  for  the  reformation  of  morals  and  "  doing 
good ;"  the  pervading  heavenly  influence  which  rested 
on  a  great  congregation,  multitudes  of  whom  are  now, 
with  their  honored  and  beloved  pastor,  together  cast 
ing  their  crowns  before  the  throne  of  God  and  the 
Lamb. 

The  transient  memoranda  commenced  on  the  day 
of  his  installation,  December  2,  1812,  were  continued 
for  three  months  to  March  4,  1813,  noticing  what 
families  he  visited,  and  how  he  was  employed  in  the 
morning,  in  the  afternoon,  and  often  in  the  evening  of 
each  day.  These  notices  show  a  surprising  amount 
of  pastoral  labor,  the  number  of  families  visited  being 
frequently  ten  or  fifteen  in  a  day,  in  many  of  which  he 
"  took  the  names  of  the  children,"  who  were  his  hope 
and  the  objects  of  his  special  care ;  and  it  was  his  cus- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN 

torn  throughout  his  ministry,  in  pastoral  visits  to  read 
a  short  portion  of  Scripture,  sometimes  with  explana 
tions  and  singing  a  hymn,  and  to  close  the  interview 
with  prayer.  Not  one  family  within  the  limits  of  his 
congregation,  however  humble  or  obscure,  or  far  from 
God,  escaped  his  notice  in  his  pastoral  visits. 

The  memoranda  contain  repeated  notices  of  sup 
plying  families  with  hymn-books,  catechisms,  and  prim 
ers  ;  of  care  for  the  young ;  of  persons  found  anxious 
for  their  salvation ;  of  families  establishing  family 
worship;  of  good  seasons  in  the  house  of  God;  of 
visiting  the  sick ;  of  conversing  and  praying  in 
schools ;  of  devising  plans  of  usefulness ;  attending 
meetings  for  prayer,  in  one  of  which  an  hour  of  Sat 
urday  evening  was  set  apart  as  a  concert  of  private 
prayer  for  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  notices  of 
his  studying  particular  portions  of  Scripture ;  reading 
the  Hebrew  Bible ;  conversing  on  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity ;  meeting  the  deacons  and  planning  for  the 
good  of  souls ;  ejaculations  to  God  to  enable  him  to 
be  faithful  in  visiting  ;  of  writing  and  preaching  ser 
mons,  and  similar  varied  and  unwearied  means  of  use 
fulness.  To  his  people  it  seemed  that  he  might  justly 
say,  in  the  language  of  the  great  apostle,  "I  have  kept 
back  nothing  that  was  profitable  unto  you ;  but  have 
showed  you,  and  have  taught  you,  publicly  and  from 
house  to  house ;  testifying  both  to  the  Jews,  and  also 
to  the  Greeks,  repentance  towards  God  and  faith 
towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

His  health  soon  became  prostrated,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  leave  his  charge  for  some  time,  and  rest.  It 
was  probably  of  this  period  that  he  said  in  substance, 


42  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,  D.D. 

"My  health  had  been  so  firm  that  I  thought  nothing 
could  hurt  me,  and  wishing  to  visit  a  young  minister 

at  C ,  I  started  off  and  walked  fifteen  miles  in  a 

hot  day.  Getting  very  warm,  I  sat  down  in  a  cool 
place  and  took  a  cold  which  disabled  me  from  preach 
ing  for  months."  Visiting  Westhampton,  his  surviv 
ing  elder  sister,  who  had  cared  for  him  in  childhood 
and  youth  and  when  pursuing  classical  study,  remem 
bers  that  he  said  to  her,  that  when  agitating  the  ques 
tion  of  accepting  the  call  to  settle  in  Andover,  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Austin,  of  Worcester,  told  him  he  would 
be  manifestly  going  contrary  to  the  will  of  divine 
Providence  should  he  decline  it ;  that  on  the  morning 
of  the  installation  he  felt  oppressed  with  a  sense  of 
the  responsibilities  he  was  about  to  assume ;  that  often 
in  the  arduous  and  difficult  position  in  which  he  was 
placed,  when  he  looked  at  his  own  weakness  and  un- 
worthiness,  he  felt  that  he  should  sink ;  but  when  he 
had  the  light  of  God's  countenance  and  his  holy,  sup 
porting  presence,  he  hoped  he  did  "a  little  good." 

His  deacons  wrote  him  at  "Westhampton,  stating 
the  deep  anxiety  of  his  people,  and  that  there  were  a 
number  of  cases  of  seriousness  among  them.  The  late 
deacon  Isaac  Abbot  writes,  "You,  sir,  mention  that, 
could  you  see  a  revival  of  religion  in  Andover,  and 
hear  immortal  souls  inquiring,  'What  must  we  do  to 
be  saved?'  and  see  them  fleeing  from  the  wrath  to 
come,  and  laying  hold  on  eternal  life,  you  should  be 
almost  well.  These  things,  sir,  you  cannot  see  where 
you  now  are ;  but  were  you  here,  if  only  to  visit  and 
converse  with  the  people,  I  have  strong  faith,  trusting 
in  the  aid  of  the  divine  Spirit,  that  such  a  season  you 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANBOVER.  43 

would  behold.  It  was  our  communion  last  Sabbath ; 
your  address  to  the  church  and  society  was  read,  and 
received  with  great  satisfaction.  Our  people  all  seem 
greatly  rejoiced  to  hear  from  you,  but  would  be  much 
more  so,  could  we  see  you." 

While  laboring  for  the  best  interests  of  his  church 
and  congregation,  it  soon  became  evident  that  God 
had  placed  him  in  a  position  where  his  influence  was 
to  be  still  more  widely  felt.  Young  men  preparing 
for  the  ministry  had  till  this  time  generally  pursued 
their  studies  under  the  care  of  some  divine  who  was 
faithfully  engaged  in  the  labors  of  a  pastor ;  and  those 
entering  the  walls  of  the  Theological  Seminary  would 
fix  their  eyes  on  him,  whose  ministry  they  then  attend 
ed  ;  and  the  influence  on  them  of  his  pastoral  fidelity 
might  extend  to .  other  churches,  -and  even  to  heathen 
lands,  to  which  many  of  them  were  destined. 

He  also,  soon  after  his  settlement,  united  with  the 
Eev.  Professors  Porter,  Woods,  and  Stuart,  Mr. 
Adams,  principal  of  the  Academy,  Mr.  Farrar,  treas 
urer,  and  Deacon  Newman,  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees,  in  a  weekly  Monday  evening  meeting  at 
Dr.  Porter's  study,  for  devising  plans  of  doing  good 
and  advancing  the  interests  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom, 
at  home  and  abroad,  in  every  practicable  way.  This 
meeting  was  continued  many  years.  It  was  noiseless ; 
but  its  aim  was  befitting  the  rising  spirit  of  missions 
and  other  departments  of  benevolence  which  the  great 
work  of  God  at  the  beginning  of  the  century  had 
awakened ;  and  their  united  prayers,  counsels,  and 
endeavors  were  evidently  owned  from  on  high  in  ex- 


44  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

tensive  good.  Several  of  our  excellent  and  cherished 
institutions  and  means  of  usefulness  had  their  origin 
in,  or  were  assisted  and  encouraged  by  the  harmo 
nious  plans  and  counsels  of  this  little  meeting. 

The  earliest  among  these  institutions  was  the 
"New  England  Tract  Society,"  which  at  length  was 
merged  into  the  "American  Tract  Society,"  an 
enterprise  of  which  Dr.  Edwards,  while  pastor,  was 
to  have  for  several  years  the  principal  direction,  and 
in  which  to  bear  high  responsibilities  through  life.  It 
was  about  the  close  of  the  year  1813,  that  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Porter  was  buying  a  little  religious  book,  when  it 
occurred  to  him,  that  a  Tract  Society  would  supply  the 
community  with  better  books  at  a  far  cheaper  rate ; 
and  suggesting  the  idea  to  the  little  circle  of  his 
brethren,  they  took  up  the  enterprise,  made  their  own 
subscriptions,  and  set  about  obtaining  collections  for 
establishing  it,  which  were  responded  to  with  such 
liberality  in  the  principal  towns  in  the  vicinity,  that 
they  soon  set  presses  in  motion,  and  at  the  time  of  the 
public  organization  of  the  Society  in  Boston,  May  23, 
1814,  no  less  than  $3,830  had  been  subscribed,  and 
$2,745  expended  in  issuing  a  series  of  fifty  tracts,  in 
all  297,000  copies.  The  printing  and  principal  man 
agement  till  1825  remained  at  Andover,  though  it  had 
a  d6pot  of  its  publications  in  Boston,  where  its  an 
niversaries  were  celebrated. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1814,  a  highly  efficient  in 
strumentality,  "  THE  ANDOVER  SOUTH  PARISH  SOCIETY 
FOR  THE  REFORMATION  OF  MORALS,"  or  "  Doing  Good," 
was  organized  by  about  seventy  of  the  male  members 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  45 

of  the  congregation :  its  object  being  to  discountenance 
immorality,  particularly  Sabbath-breaking,  intemper 
ance,  and  profanity  ;  and  to  promote  industry,  temper 
ance,  order,  piety,  and  good  morals.  The  Society  met 
quarterly  for  mutual  encouragement,  and  the  pastor, 
who  was  chairman  of  their  standing  committee,  gave  his 
counsel  and  cooperation  in  all  the  objects  before  them, 
and  for  eleven  successive  years  presented,  at  their  an 
nual  meetings  in  September,  an  able  public  report  or 
address.  At  their  first  anniversary  he  showed  the  power 
of  associated  counsels  and  action  in  discountenancing 
vice,  and  doing  good ;  that  the  fathers  who  had  united 
in  the  Society,  seeing  the  destructive  influence  of  the 
vices  named,  for  this  life  and  the  life  to  come,  had 
associated  not  only  to  benefit  themselves  and  those 
around  them,  but  to  save  their  children  from  the  cor 
rupting  influences  that  if  not  arrested  must  descend 
to  them ;  and  to  do  this  especially  by  setting  a  good 
example  themselves,  and  in  the  regulation  of  their  own 
families.  "As  neighbors  when  they  meet,"  said  the 
address,  "  must  have  subjects  of  conversation,  let  them 
converse  on  the  evils  of  prevailing  immoralities,  and 
the  ease  with  which  by  united  exertion  they  might  be 
prevented."  It  stated  that  there  were  in  the  parish 
11  five  hundred  children,  whom  they  wished  to  train  up 
in  sobriety,  temperance,  industry,  virtue,  piety,  and 
good  morals,  a  generation  for  God,  to  be  pillars  in 
church  and  state  when  their  fathers  are  in  the  grave, 
and  who,  when  these  heavens  shall  have  passed  away, 
shall  through  grace  stand  on  mount  Zion,  crowned 
with  immortal  glory."  All  these  children  they  wished 
to  supply  with  suitable  tracts  and  small  books  adapted 


46  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

to  their  age  and  wants ;  to  throw  a  good  moral  and 
religious  influence  into  all  the  district-schools ;  and 
by  all  suitable  means  "train  them  up  in  the  nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord." 

At  the  next  anniversary,  September  13,  1815,  the 
pastor,  as  chairman  of  the  standing  committee,  pre 
sented  a  very  cheering  report. 

At  the  first  quarterly  meeting,  they  had  appointed 
their  president,  vice-president,  and  Mr.  John  Adams 
delegates  to  a  county  convention  in  Topsfield  for  pre 
venting  the  profanation  of  the  Lord's  day,  which  the 
pastor  attended  and  took  part  in  the  discussions.  The 
object  of  this  and  similar  movements  in  various  parts 
of  New  England  at  this  period,  was  especially  to  en 
courage  a  more  faithful  execution  of  the  laws  of  the 
land,  in  furtherance  of  which  Dr.  Edwards  wrote  a 
petition  to  the  legislature  of  the  state. 

At  their  second  quarterly  meeting  they  had  ap 
pointed  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ebenezer  Porter  as  preacher  at 
their  next  anniversary,  whose  sermon  was  no  other 
than  his  well-known  splendid  discourse,  "  Great  Effects 
result  from  Little  Causes,"  of  which  tens  of  thousands 
have  been  circulated  by  the  American  Tract  Society 
as  No.  74  of  their  series. 

At  their  third  quarterly  meeting  they  had  welcomed 
a  new  auxiliary  in  one  hundred  and  fifty  females,  who 
had  organized  as  the  "Andover  South  Parish  Female 
Charitable  Society,"  and  with  their  prayers  and  co 
operation  brought  liberal  funds  to  purchase  books  for 
the  children. 

In  reviewing  the  year,  the  pastor,  in  behalf  of  the 
committee,  stated  that  in  reference  to  profanity,  they 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  47 

had  had  little  to  do,  for  he  said,  "  This  enormous  evil, 
which  a  few  years  ago  was  so  prevalent,  has  almost 
ceased,  except  it  be  with  a  few  of  the  most  degraded, 
and  we  hope  the  time  is  approaching  when  this  evil 
will  "be  entirely  done  away." 

"  On  the  subject  of  the  Sabbath,  you  need  only  appeal 
to  the  testimony  of  your  own  eyes,  to  see  that  the 
exertions  of  yourselves  and  others  have  been  crowned 
with  success.  The  alarming  profanation  of  the  Sab 
bath,  which  two  years  ago  threatened  to  sweep  every 
thing  before  it,  and  was  thought  to  be  incurable,  has 
not  only  been  arrested  and  greatly  checked,  partly 
through  the  cooperation  given  to  civil  officers,  but 
apparently  almost  done  away." 

"  As  to  intemperance,  although  some  individuals  are 
still  reeling  to  and  fro,  and  some  families  clothed  in 
woe  by  this  iniquity,  yet  the  evil  has  been  greatly 
lessened.  A  few  years  ago,  $15,000  were  expended  in 
this  town  for  ardent  spirits  in  a  year ;  $8,000  more 
than  was  paid  for  the  support  of  the  gospel,  and  of  all 
the  schools,  highways,  state  and  county  taxes,  and  all 
other  town  expenses.  The  people  the  last  year  did 
not  probably  expend  one  third  of  that  sum.  Ardent 
spirits  in  the  respectable  part  of  the  community  are 
becoming  unfashionable,  and  dispensed  with  in  social 
visits.  Many  workmen  are  employed  on  condition  of 
refraining  from  ardent  spirits,  and  it  is  found  that 
better  men  are  secured,  and  that  they  do  more  business 
and  in  a  better  manner  than  before.  The  practice  of 
taking  wine  &i funerals  is  almost  entirely  abolished; 
and  it  begins  to  be  understood  that  ardent  spirits, 
except  in  special  cases  as  a  medicine,  are  not  only 


48  REV.   JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

entirely  useless,  but  ruinous  to  the  bodies  and  the  souls 
of  men." 

"The  'Female  Charitable  Society'  have  prospered 
beyond  their  expectations.  Here  are  one  hundred  and 
fifty  females,  feeling  that  their  mercies  have  all  been 
purchased  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  associated  to 
contribute  annually  to  provide  books  for  the  children, 
as  rewards  for  learning  the  catechism  and  good  be 
havior;  to  furnish  the  destitute  with  Bibles  and 
religious  books,  and  to  aid  in  supporting  missions  in 
this  country  and  among  the  heathen.  Never  was  there 
a  more  benevolent  object  than  that  in  which  they  are 
engaged.  Their  benevolence  begins  at  home,  but 
embraces  the  world ;  not  for  time  only,  but  through 
endless  being." 

He  proceeds  to  report  that  small  books  had  been 
procured  as  a  circulating  library  for  each  of  the  seven 
district-schools ;  and  that  within  the  last  four  months 
1,302  books,  containing  over  30,000  pages,  had  been 
reported  as  read ;  about  two  hundred  children  had 
learned  one  half,  and  one  hundred  and  six  the  whole 
of  the  catechism,  besides  about  two  hundred  hymns 
and  numerous  portions  of  Scripture.  The  results  in 
each  district  are  minutely  reported ;  the  improvement 
of  the  children  in  learning  had  been  unusually  great ; 
and  a  gratifying  progress  was  made  towards  reaching 
all  the  five  hundred  children  whose  welfare  they  were 
seeking. 

"Look  for  a  moment,"  he  says,  "at  one  soul,  im 
mortal  and  yet  walking  heedlessly  over  the  bottomless 
pit.  Like  an  angel  of  mercy,  you  hand  him  a  little 
tract  on  the '  Loss  of  the  soul.7  He  reads  with  wonder ; 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  49 

the  eyes  of  his  mind  are  enlightened ;  he  sees  himself 
on  slippery  places,  and  fiery  billows  are  beneath  him. 
Wretched,  he  casts  himself  on  the  blood  of  Jesus ;  and 
an  arm  of  mercy  from  heaven  snatches  him  as  a  brand 
from  the  burning,  and  he  sings, '  Salvation,  and  glory, 
and  honor  to  the  Lord  our  God.'  You  have  saved  a 
soul  from  death  and  hid  a  multitude  of  sins.  His 
influence,  which  before  was  leading  others  to  destruc 
tion,  is  now  guiding  them  to  heaven.  He  comes  to 
die.  Surrounded  with  the  light  of  heaven,  his  eye 
beams  with  hope;  and  his  voice,  though  sinking  in 
death,  is  raised  in  thanksgiving.  He  recommends  his 
precious  Redeemer  to  all  around  him,  falls  asleep  in 
His  arms,  and  wings  his  way ;  and  a  multitude  which 
no  man  can  number,  press  to  the  gate  of  heaven  to 
shout  his  arrival.  He  ascends  upon  mount  Zion,  and 
joins  the  swelling  song,  *  Unto  Him  that  loved  us  and 
gave  himself  for  us.' " 

These  operations  were  efficiently  continued  from 
year  to  year ;  attention  being  gradually  concentrated 
more  and  more  on  instructing  the  children  in  the  truths 
of  the  Bible,  and  interesting  them  and  others  in  the 
great  benevolent  movements  of  the  age.  At  the  an 
niversary  in  1818,  the  pastor  reported  a  new  move 
ment  :  it  was  no  other  than  the  formation  of  a  Sabbath- 
school  !  in  which  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  children 
met,  in  the  interval  of  public  worship,  to  recite  por 
tions  of  Scripture  and  receive  instruction  in  the  truths 
of  the  Bible.  This  event  was  hailed  with  great  de 
light,  and  its  benefits  and  promise  of  usefulness  were 
dwelt  upon,  as  showing  that  God  was  about  to  bless 
to  children  the  truths  of  his  word,  and  turn  the  hearts 

Edwards.  3 


50  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

of  multitudes  of  them  to  himself.  In  a  few  years  more, 
seven  Sabbath-schools  were  sustained  in  the  several  school- 
districts  within  the  bounds  of  his  large  congregation, 
and  most  of  the  five  hundred  children  were  gathered 
into  them. 

As  the  donations  of  the  charitable  society  and  the 
children  were  distributed  to  almost  all  the  principal 
benevolent  institutions,  the  pastor  availed  himself  of 
the  annual  meetings  of  this  Society  for  Doing  Good, 
to  give  full,  and  often  minute  and  graphic  information 
concerning  the  character  and  operations  of  the  several 
institutions  which  they  aided  in  our  own  and  foreign 
lands ;  a  course  admirably  calculated  to  enlarge  the 
hearts  of  the  little  ones  and  others  to  feel  for  the 
moral  wants  and  woes  of  the  world. 

His  beloved  foreign  missionary  brethren  of  the  col 
lege  and  seminary  continued  to  write  him  frequently. 
The  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills  wrote  from  his  father's,  in 
Torringford,  Connecticut,  requesting  him  to  spend  the 
winter  of  1815-16  in  New  Orleans,  where  was  great 
need  of  missionary  labor,  and  reporting  a  blessed 
revival  of  religion  in  a  neighboring  town ;  the  Rev. 
Luther  Rice  wrote  him  both  before  and  after  sailing 
from  Philadelphia  for  India ;  and  the  Rev.  Gordon 
Hall  often  wrote,  reporting  the  progress  of  the  mission 
in  Bombay. 

In  reference  to  establishing  in  our  land  the  monthly 
concerto/ pray  erf  or  foreign  missions,  Dr.  Edwards  wrote 
the  following,  in  the  form  of  a  circular  letter. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  5] 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Ebenezer  Fitch,  President  of  Williams  College. 

"ANDOVER,  January  13, 1815. 

"  REY.  AND  VERY  DEAR  SIR — While  we  as  a  nation 
are  groaning  under  the  judgments  of  heaven,  and  as  a 
punishment  for  our  iniquities  appear  to  be  sinking 
never  again  to  rise,  the  friends  of  Zion  in  different 
parts  of  the  country  have  expressed  a  wish  that  there 
might  be  a  concert  for  prayer;  that  Christians  of 
every  age  and  denomination  may  at.  the  same  time 
unite  in  fervent  supplications  that  the  Lord  would 
pour  his  Spirit  upon  us  from  on  high  ;  that  he  would 
sanctify  the  children  and  rising  generation  for  him 
self,  and  extend  the  gospel  with  all  its  blessings  through 
the  world.  In  a  word,  to  pray  for  a  revival  of  pure 
and  undefiled  religion,  the  only  thing  which  can  pos 
sibly  save  our  sinking  country. 

"  The  time  proposed  for  the  concert  is  the  first 
Monday  evening  of  every  month.  A  concert  for  prayer 
on  this  evening  has  already  been  observed  in  Great 
Britain,  Holland,  Switzerland,  Germany,  the  Christian 
settlements  in  Africa,  New  Holland,  Asia,  and  other 
parts  of  the  world.  C  ould  it  now  be  extended  through 
out  the  United  States,  we  should  then  unite  with 
Christians,  not  only  in  this  country  but  in  numerous 
other  countries,  in  supplicating  the  greatest  blessings 
which  God  can  bestow. 

"  Have  we  not  reason  to  hope,  sir,  if  such  a  union 
could  be  formed,  that  light  would  break  forth  upon  us 
as  the  morning,  and  salvation  as  the  noonday ;  that 
righteousness  would  go  before  us,  and  that  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  would  follow? 

"  Will  you  have  the  goodness,  dear  sir,  to  give  us 


52  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

your  thoughts  upon  the  subject,  and  also  Professor 
Dewey,  etc.,  as  soon  as  may  be.  Should  the  plan  meet 
the  views  of  gentlemen  of  influence  in  different  parts 
of  the  country,  measures  will  be  taken  to  extend  the 
information  as  speedily  and  as  widely  as  possible. 

"  We  think  of  preparing  a  tract  that  may  go  into 
every  family,  perhaps  President  Edwards'  work  as 
abridged  by  Mr.  Burder,  and  sending  it  through  the 
United  States. 

"  With  sentiments  of  the  highest  regard, 
"  Most  cordially  yours, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

In  October,  1815,  an  esteemed  young  lady  of  his 
church  was  married  to  the  Rev.  Horatio  Bardwell, 
destined  to  the  mission  at  Bombay,  who  sailed  for 
India  the  same  month,  in  company  with  Dr.  Edwards' 
early  friend  Richards,  and  Rev.  Messrs.  Poor  and 
Warren ;  the  company  receiving  a  solemn  charge  from 
her  pastor,  in  the  appropriate  public  services  previous 
to  their  embarkation  at  Newburyport.  Of  her  recol 
lections  of  Dr.  Edwards  previous  to  her  departure, 
she  says, 

"My  impressions  of  his  early  ministry  are  still 
vivid.  There  existed  at  that  time  among  the  people 
more  or  less  prejudice  against  the  Theological  Sem 
inary,  and  many  feared  that  the  young  pastor,  fresh 
from  that  institution,  would  fail  to  secure  the  harmony 
of  the  church  and  society ;  but  these  fears  were  soon 
removed.  He  had  peculiar  excellences  as  a  pastor 
and  preacher.  He  was  indefatigable,  in  season  and 
out  of  season ;  preeminently  an  example  of  what  a 
gospel  minister  may  accomplish,  even  in  an  unpromis- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  53 

ing  field,  by  diligent,  persevering  devotion  to  his  work, 
and  love  for  the  spiritual  interests  of  his  flock.  His 
hearers  felt  that  he  sought  not  theirs,  but  them.  In 
the  sanctuary,  the  prayer-meeting,  the  conference-room, 
and  in  more  private  family  meetings,  in  which  he 
always  seemed  greatly  to  delight,  the  universal  impres 
sion  made  on  the  minds  of  his  people,  that  he  was  a 
consistent,  devoted  minister  of  Christ,  disarmed  opposi 
tion.  The  deep  and  solemn  interest  of  one  of  these  family 
meetings,  at  which  I  was  present  in  the  early  part  of 
his  labors,  I  can  never  forget. 

"  His  prayers  were  peculiarly  comprehensive  and 
solemn,  and  in  all  his  exercises  his  aim  was  to  rivet 
the  attention  of  his  hearers,  and  fix  truth  upon  the 
heart.  He  was  both  revered  and  loved  by  his  people. 
I  often  heard  the  remark,  '  Mr.  Edwards  can  do  just 
as  he  pleases.'  His  wishes  were  law,  and  the  con 
straining  influence  of  that  law  was  love.  The  interest 
he  manifested  in  children  was  great,  and  his  labors  for 
them  abundant.  All  in  all,  perhaps  there  never  was 
a  more  visible,  happy  change  wrought  in  a  church  and 
society,  than  by  the  earnest,  zealous  efforts  of  this 
good  man  and  minister." 

Concurring  in  the  above,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bar  dwell 
further  says,  "As  a  minister  of  Christ,  Dr.  Edwards 
excelled,  as  all  acknowledge,  in  the  skilful  handling 
of  the  word  of  God ;  he  was  '  mighty  in  the  Scrip 
tures.'  The  foundation  of  this  eminence  was  laid  in 
the  early  part  of  his  ministry.  I  was  in  the  seminary 
when  he  was  installed,  and  heard  most  of  his  sermons 
for  two  years.  These  and  all  his  extemporaneous 
performances  in  the  pulpit,  and  in  the  conference  and 


54  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

prayer-meeting,  were  strictly  biblical.  He  made  little 
display  of  Ms  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  technical 
exegesis;  but  honored  the  received  version  of  the 
Bible,  and  encouraged  his  hearers  to  receive  it  as  the 
oracles  of  G-od.  He  seemed  to  bear  in  mind  the  great 
truth,  that  the  object  before  him  was  not  to  preach 
himself  or  any  system  of  human  device,  but  to  explain 
and  enforce  the  gospel.  He  abounded  in  quotations 
from  the  sacred  volume,  and  his  richest  illustrations 
were  drawn  from  Bible  history.  In  the  argumentative 
parts  of  his  sermons,  he  oftener  employed  the  language 
of  the  sacred  writers,  than  of  philosophy  and  of  the 
schools ;  and  in  his  appeals  to  the  heart  and  con 
science,  he  abounded  in  scriptural  phraseology.  His 
hearers  could  not  fail  to  be  impressed  that  the  preacher 
honored  the  Bible  as  the  word  of  God,  and  that  it  was 
the  one  great  purpose  of  his  heart  to  preach  it. 

"  It  was,  I  think,  this  uncommon  measure  of  Bible 
truth  in  his  early  ministry,  that  gave  him  such  power 
over  his  people.  The  aged  felt  it  safe  to  confide  in 
one  who,  though  young  in  years,  had  so  enriched  his 
mind  with  heavenly  wisdom.  The  children  and  the 
youth  loved  and  reverenced  him,  not  only  because  on 
his  lips  was  the  law  of  social  kindness,  but  of  scrip 
ture  truth,  which  distilled  like  the  gentle  rain  and 
the  dew.  He  was  eminently  a  Bibk  man.  This,  to 
my  mind,  was  the  secret  of  his  power,  that  in  which 
his  great  strength  lay." 

A  prominent  aim  of  the  preaching  to  which  Rev. 
Mr.  Bardwell  refers,  was  plainly  and  distinctly  to 
show  to  all  classes  of  hearers,  that  "  except  a  man  be 
barn  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God ;"  that 


HIS  MINISTRY   IN  ANDOVER.  55 

"  if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none 
of  His."  Preaching  from  this  latter  text  in  1814,  he 
uttered  the  following  heart-searching  truths,  in  which 
the  discerning  reader  will  perceive  many  indications 
of  the  moral  and  religious  state  of  things  then  ex 
isting. 

"  There  is  a  great  difference  of  opinion,"  he  says, 
"as  to  what  constitutes  a  Christian.  Some  suppose 
that  being  born  in  a  Christian  land,  and  educated 
under  the  light  of  the  gospel,  constitute  a  Christian. 
Others,  that  a  man  becomes  a  Christian  by  professing 
the  Christian  religion.  Some  suppose  that  living 
what  is  called  an  innocent  and  harmless  life,  and 
doing  no  hurt  in  the  world,  constitute  a  Christian. 
Others,  that  a  man  becomes  a  Christian  by  being- 
diligent  and  enterprising  in  business,  respectable  in 
society,  supporting  civil  and  religious  institutions,  ob 
serving  the  Sabbath,  and  going  the  round  of  external 
duties.  Some  suppose  that  a  mild,  amiable  temper,  a 
great  regard  to  the  feelings  of  men,  and  a  disposition 
always  to  please  them,  constitute  a  Christian ;  and 
others,  that  a  man  becomes  a  Christian  by  changing 
his  outward  conduct.  Some  suppose  that  believing 
that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  Christ,  and  that  the 
Bible  is  a  divine  revelation,  constitute  a  Christian ; 
and  others,  that  a  man  becomes  a  Christian  by  think 
ing  that  he  is  one. 

"  But  all  these  are  mistakes.  Who,  on  a  moment's 
reflection,  does  not  know  that  a  man  may  be  born  in 
a  Christian  land,  and  hear  the  preaching  of  the  gospel, 
and  yet  not  be  a  Christian?  Many  heard  the  preach 
ing  of  Christ  himself  who  were  'of  their  father  the 


56  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

devil,  and  the  lusts  of  their  father  they  would  do.' 
And  it  will  be  more  tolerable  for  Tyre  and  Sidon, 
and  for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  in  the  day  of  judgment, 
than  for  them. 

"  A  man  may  profess  religion  ;  but  who  does  not 
know  that  men  are  not  always  what  they  profess  to 
be?  Many  profess  Christ  in  words,  while  in  works' 
they  deny  him.  They  will  say  in  that  day,  *  Have  we 
not  eaten  and  drunk  in  thy  presence?'  but  He  will 
say,  '  I  never  knew  you ;  depart  from  me,  ye  workers 
of  iniquity.'  A  man  may  live  what  is  called  an  inno 
cent  and  harmless  life,  injure  no  one,  and  do  no  hurt 
in  the  world ;  but  this  does  not  make  him  a  Christian. 
Christians  do  good.  The  man  who  simply  does  no 
hurt  is  an  'unprofitable  servant.'  He  will  be  'cast 
into  outer  darkness.'  Who  gave  him  liberty  to  hide  his 
talent  in  a  napkin,  and  simply  do  no  hurt?  A  man 
may  be  diligent  in  business,  honest  in  his  dealings, 
useful  to  society,  support  civil  and  religious  institu 
tions,  attend  public  worship  on  the  Sabbath,  and  so 
far  as  men  discover  go  the  whole  round  of  external 
duties ;  he  may  '  give  his  goods  to  feed  the  poor,  and 
his  body  to  be  burned' — but  this  does  not  constitute  a 
Christian.  A  man  may  do  all  this  from  supreme  re 
gard  to  himself.  He  may  be  diligent,  to  lay  up  for  the 
body;  be  honest,  because  it  is  the  best  way  to  get 
rich ;  attend  public  worship,  from  a  regard  to  reputa 
tion  ;  give  to  the  poor,  to  silence  conscience,  or  pur 
chase  heaven ;  or  sacrifice  life,  to  be  enrolled  on  the 
annals  of  fame.  He  may  have  a  thousand  motives  to 
be  moral,  diligent,  honest,  and  even  draw  near  to  God 
with  his  mouth,  while  his  heart  is  far  from  Him ;  but 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  57 

1  the  Lord  looketh  upon  the  heart ;'  '  he  weigheth  the 
spirits.' 

"  A  man  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  and 
that  the  Bible  is  a  divine  revelation.  He  may  know 
it.  But  this  does  not  make  him  a  Christian.  Multi 
tudes  of  wicked  men  believe  this.  The  time  is  com 
ing  when  they  will  all  believe  it.  They  will  hear  the 
trump  of  the  archangel;  they  will  look  up  and  see 
Jesps  descending  in  flaming  fire ;  thousands  and  tens 
of  thousands  will  be  round  about  him,  and  they  will 
have  no  doubt  of  his  being  the  Christ ;  but  it  will  not 
make  them  Christians.  They  will  'cry  to  the  rocks 
and  mountains  to  fall  on  them.'  A  man  may  have  all 
these  things,  and  yet  may  still  be  an  impenitent,  unbe 
lieving  sinner. 

"The  Holy  Ghost,  as  if  with  direct  reference  to 
this  diversity  of  opinion,  and  to  cut  off  all  controversy 
upon  the  subject,  declares  with  the  plainness  of  eternal 
truth,  '  If  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is 
none  of  his.'  A  Christian  is  a  man  who  has  '  the  Spirit 
of  Christ.'  This  forms  the  dividing  line  between 
saints  and  sinners :  a  line  which  separates  this  assem 
bly,  and  the  whole  human  race,  into  two  classes. 
Those  who  have  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  of  whatever  age, 
profession,  or  name,  are  Christians :  those  who  have 
not  his  Spirit,  are  none  of  his. 

"  The  great  truth  revealed  in  the  text  is  this :  If 
any  man  have  not  a  temper  of  heart  like  that  of  Christ,  he 
is  not  a  Christian;  andifanyman  have  a  temper  of  heart 
like  that  of  Christ,  he  is  a  Christian.  This  line  separates 
all  men  into  saints  or  sinners.  My  present  object  is, 
in  a  simple  manner  to  show  WHAT  WAS  THE  TEMPER 


68  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

OF  CHRIST.  Let  every  individual,  as  I  pass  along,  com 
pare  it  with  his  own,  in  order  to  determine  whether 
he  is  a  Christian  or  not. 

"  Christ  had  a  supreme  regard  to  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  good  of  his  ki?igdom.  He  would  make  any  sac 
rifice  to  advance  them.  "When  necessary,  he  would 
sacrifice  ease  and  comfort,  and  the  respect  and  ap 
plause  of  men,  houses,  lands,  kinsfolk,  and  friends ; 
he  would  sacrifice  his  life.  For  this  he  left  heaven, 
and  came  down  to  earth ;  for  this  he  lived  and  toiled 
and  mourned  and  wept  and  bled  and  died.  While 
others  lived  and  died  for  themselves,  he  lived  and 
died  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  his  king 
dom.  Is  this  your  object?  There  is  some  object  for 
which  you  live  and  toil.  Is  it  the  glory  of  God? 
Does  this  occupy  your  hearts,  and  can  you  sacrifice  a 
right  hand  or  a  right  eye  to  promote  it?  Perhaps 
you  cannot  think  of  standing  alone  for  the  sake  of  ad 
vancing  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  his  king 
dom.  If  so,  you  have  not  the  spirit  of  Christ.  He 
was  totally  different.  He  was  ready  to  do  something, 
and  to  make  sacrifices,  whether  others  would  or  not. 
He  stood  in  the  gap.  It  was  not  necessary  for  him  to 
go  with  the  multitude,  and  have  the  world  to  support 
him.  He  had  a  bold  independence  which  could  stand 
alone.  When  the  glory  of  God  required,  he  fixed  his 
face  like  a  flint.  He  suffered  trials,  bore  afflictions, 
endured  hardships,  encountered  dangers.  He  was 
courageous.  With  eyes  fixed  on  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  good  of  his  kingdom,  he  cast  himself  on  infi 
nite  strength  and  broke  through  all  opposition  which 
stood  in  the  path  of  duty,  or  opposed  his  progress  in 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  59 

the  way  to  heaven.  He  had  no  thought,  in  promoting 
the  divine  glory,  that  all  others  must  do  the  same,  or 
he  neglect  it.  Whatever  others  did,  his  object  was 
one.  He  lived  and  he  died  to  advance  it.  Have  you 
this  spirit? 

"  Christ  was  guided  in  his  feelings  and  conduct  by 
the  will  of  God.  He  came  into  the  world  not  to  do 
his  own  will,  but  the  will  of  his  Father.  His  meat 
and  drink  was,  to  '  do  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  him, 
and  to  finish  his  work.'  Whether  he  should  take  this 
course  or  that,  was  determined  by  the  will  of  God. 
He  did  not  inquire,  Will  others  do  it  ?  what  do  men 
think?  will  it  be  easy,  safe,  or  popular?  but,  Is  it 
the  will  of  God  ?  If  so,  his  course  was  fixed.  Per 
haps  it  led  him  through  pain,  and  sickness,  and  sor 
row,  and  tribulation,  and  death ;  but  no  matter  for 
that,  it  led  him  to  eternal  glory,  that  was  enough. 
Have  you  this  spirit?  What  guides  your  conduct; 
is  it  your  inclination,  or  is  it  the  will  of  God  ?  When 
you  know  his  will,  is  your  course  fixed?  Are  you 
ready  to  go  forward,  whatever  be  the  consequences  ? 
Christ  was  ;  and  if  you  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ 
you  are  none  of  his. 

"  Christ  sought  his  happiness  in  serving  God  and  en 
joying  his  presence.  Nothing  gave  him  such  delight 
as  communion  with  God.  Hence,  we  read  of  his  rising 
'  a  great  while  before  day '  for  prayer.  Is  it  so  with 
you? 

"  Christ  approved  the  divine  law  ;  that  law  which 
saith,  'Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all 
thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy 
mind,  and  thy  neighbor  as  thyself;'  and  'the  soul 


60  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  L>. 

that  sinneth,  it  shall  die.'  The  purity  of  the  law,  its 
extent,  its  requirements,  and  its  penalty,  every  thing 
with  respect  to  it,  met  his  full  approbation.  He 
viewed  it  as  perfectly  right.  He  wished  for  no 
alteration.  He  believed  that  all  men  ought  perfectly 
to  obey  it,  and  that  if  they  did  not  they  were  guilty, 
and  deserved  everlasting  destruction.  Do  you  ?  Do 
you  feel  that  you  ought  to  obey  the  divine  law  per 
fectly,  and  that  so  far  as  you  fall  short,  you  are  guilty 
and  without  excuse,  and  that  you  must  be  forgiven  or 
perish?  Do  you  approve  the  law  which  condemns 
you,  and  feel  that  you  deserve  the  everlasting  destruc 
tion  which  it  threatens  ?  Or  do  you  feel  that  it  is 
too  strict,  that  it  requires  too  much,  or  threatens  too 
much  ?  If  so,  you  have  not  the  spirit  of  Christ.  He 
felt  that  the  law  was  exactly  right.  He  loved  it,  and 
strove  constantly  to  obey  it.  You  do,  if  you  have 
the  spirit  of  Christ.  You  approve  it.  It  appears  holy, 
and  just,  and  good.  You  love  it ;  you  strive  con 
stantly  to  obey  it.  "When  you  transgress  you  feel 
guilty  ;  you  condemn  yourself  for  your  sin ;  you  loathe 
and  abhor  it ;  you  mourn  in  bitterness  of  soul,  and 
repent  as  in  dust  and  ashes.  Have  you  this  spirit? 
Be  honest  with  yourselves  and  with  God.  It  will  do 
you  no  hurt  to  learn  your  true  character ;  but  to  be 
deceived  will  ruin  you. 

"  Christ  was  pleased  with  the  government  of  God, 
and  ready  to  commit  all  concerns  to  his  everlasting 
disposal.  He  was  satisfied  with  what  God  does  ;  the 
dispensations  of  his  providence  and  his  grace  met  his 
full  approval.  Clouds  and  darkness  might  be  round 
about  him,  but  he  knew  that  justice  and  judgment 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  '61 

are  the  habitation  of  his  throne.  Whenever  he  could 
say,  *  It  is  the  Lord,'  he  was  ready  also  to  say,  *  It  is 
well ;'  '  Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done.'  Have  you 
this  spirit  ?  Christ  had ;  and  if  Christians,  you  have. 

"  Christ  loved  the  souls  of  men.  Every  step  from 
the  throne  of  God  to  the  manger,  and  from  the 
manger  to  the  cross,  was  a  proof  of  it.  He  was  plain 
in  his  instructions,  faithful  in  his  warnings,  and 
abundant  in  labors.  He  did  not  cry  peace,  when 
there  was  no  peace.  He  told  men  their  true  con 
dition,  their  amazing  guilt  and  danger.  He  carried 
them  on  to  the  judgment.  He  opened  eternal  pros 
pects,  and  cried  with  a  voice  of  mercy,  '  He  that  hath 
ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear.'  Have  you  his  spirit  ? 

"  Christ  was  much  in  prayer.  If  Christians,  so  are 
you.  You  do  not  pray  simply  once  or  twice  on  the 
Sabbath,  or  some  special  occasion,  but  prayer  is  a 
part  of  your  daily  business.  I  ask  every  individual, 
do  you  pray  in  secret,  in  your  families,  in  the  house 
of  God  ?  Christ  did.  Have  you  in  this  respect  his 
spirit  ? 

"  Christ  endured  trials  with  patience.  He  prayed 
for  his  enemies,  and  was  ready  to  forgive.  Are  you  ? 
Search  your  hearts  on  this  point.  If  Christians,  you 
cannot  pass  through  this  world  without  trials.  You 
will  have  enemies,  and  you  must  have  tribulation. 
Your  motives  may  be  impeached,  your  actions  mis 
represented,  and  a  cloud  of  darkness  may  be  thrown 
over  you.  But  though  your  enemies  be  ever  so 
many,  or  ever  so  violent,  you  must  be  an  enemy  to  no 
man.  Is  this  your  character  ?  Do  you  pray  for  your 
enemies?  Do  you  forgive  them?  Christ  did.  His 


62  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,   D.  D. 

friends  forsake  him ;  he  is  betrayed  by  one,  denied 
by  another,  deserted  by  all.  His  enemies,  who  lived 
on  his  mercy,  with  instruments  of  death  in  their 
hands  and  the  malice  of  hell  in  their  hearts,  come 
upon  him.  They  render  evil  for  his  goodness,  and 
hatred  for  his  love.  They  bind  him,  and  crown  him 
with  thorns,  and  mock  and  scourge  him,  and  crucify 
him ;  yet,  in  the  fulness  of  his  soul  he  cries,  '  Father, 
forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do  ?' 

"  Such  was  Christ.  Christians  are  like  him.  Are 
you  like  him  ?  If  not,  your  hopes  of  heaven  will  fail 
at  the  giving  up  of  the  ghost." 

On  the  day  of  the  annual  state  fast,  April  4,  1816, 
he  preached  to  his  own  people  two  plain  and  power 
ful  sermons  on  intemperance. 

The  morning  sermon  was  from  the  text,  "Woe 
unto  them  that  rise  up  early  in  the  morning,  that  they 
may  follow  strong  drink ;  that  continue  until  night,  till 
wine  inflame  them."  One  woe  is  a  craving  appetite 
which  nothing  can  satisfy.  Like  the  grave,  it  cries, 
"  Give,  give."  It  is  a  burning  which  seems  to  be 
kindled  by  the  fire  that  never  shall  be  quenched. 
They  are  tormented.  They  feel  a  gnawing  as  of  the 
worm  that  never  dies.  Another  woe  is  the  loss  of 
reputation.  Another  woe  is  the  loss  of  property. 
Another,  the  loss  of  domestic  peace  and  comfort. 
Another,  the  loss  of  health.  Another,  the  loss  of 
reason.  Another,  the  loss  of  life.  "Earthly  woes  pass 
away,  but  another  cometh  quickly — they  lose  tJie  soul. 
They  go  away  into  everlasting  burnings.  Guilt  fastens 
upon  them  and  eats  their  souls  like  fire.  They  fol- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  63 

lowed  strong  drink  ;  its  woes  come  upon  them ;  they 
must  drink  of  the  fierceness  of  divine  indignation  for 
ever." 

The  afternoon  sermon  was  from  the  words,  "I 
speak  as  to  wise  men ;  judge  ye  what  I  say,"  in  which 
he  draws  out  at  length  the  supposition,  that  an  army 
of  ten  thousand  men  enter  the  United  States  under 
the  garb  of  friendship  ;  that  they  are  welcomed  among 
us  ;  but  under  all  forms  of  flattery  and  love,  they  are 
found  to  work  all  manner  of  mischief—  "•  Judge  ye 
what  I  say/  Would  it  be  enough  to  refrain  from  em-^ 
ploying  these  men  ourselves  ?  Must  we  not  do  our 
utmost  to  have  others  also  refrain  ?  He  then  again 
portrays  the  woes  brought  on  our  country,  on  all 
classes  of  men,  on  husbands  and  wives,  parents  and 
children,  old  and  young,  by  intoxicating  liquor  within 
thirty  years — " '  I  speak  as  to  wise  men/  What  shall 
be  done  ?  Shall  this  enemy  be  continued  among  us,- 
or  shall  we  declare  a  war  of  extermination,  and  root 
it  out  ?  But  one  says,  '  It  is  a  very  useful  thing.7  '  It 
will  do  no  hurt,  if  men  do  not  take  too  much ;  they 
must  be  on  their  guard.'  JVb;  'Be  on  your  guard' 
has  been  the  motto  for  thirty  years ;  and  shall  we  go 
on  and  perpetuate  its  evils  on  this  generation,  and 
fasten  them  on  the  necks  of  posterity  ? 

"It  is  not  drunkards  nor  intemperate  men  who 
control  this  business.  It  is  temperate  men,  useful  men, 
honorable  men.  Let  them  forbear  to  use  it,  and  show 
that  it  is  not  necessary,  and  the  evil  will  die ;  for  they 
shut  the  door  through  which  all  intemperate  men  and 
all  drunkards  have  entered.  Those  men  were  once 
where  temperate  men  now  are,  in  the  temperate  use  of 


64  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

strong  drink ;  and  temperate  men,  if  they  continue 
this  course,  will  many  of  them  soon  be  where  the  in 
temperate  now  are.  It  is  temperate  using  which 
gives  the  relish,  prepares  the  way,  and  opens  the  door 
to  intemperance.  Shut  this  door,  and  it  will  not  enter. 
Let  temperate  men  give  up  the  use  of  strong  drink, 
and  the  evil  will  very  soon  be  done  away,  for  all  who 
are  now  intemperate  will  die  soon,  and  when  they 
die  there  will  be  none  to  fill  their  places.  Having 
stopped  the  temperate  use,  there  is  no  door  to  intem 
perance.  Those  who  are  now  intemperate  may  dis 
tress  us  for  the  present.  They  will  frown,  and  cor 
rupt,  while  here.  But  they  are  not  to  be  here.  He 
who  made  them  has  graciously  decreed  that  if  they 
will  not  reform,  they  shall  go  to  their  own  place,  and 
the  earth  be  relieved  of  her  burden. 

"  We  are  now  reduced  to  one  point,  Shall  temperate 
men  continue  the  temperate  use  of  strong  drink,  and  thus 
keep  open  the  door  to  intemperance,  idleness,  dissipation, 
drunkenness,  poverty,  wretchedness,  and  death;  or  shall 
they  forbear,  and  thus  shut  the  door  against  those  evils  for 
ever?  '  I  speak  as  to  wise  men.'  "Which  will  you  ap 
prove  when  you  come  to  die,  and  which  will  you 
approve  for  ever  ?  Judge  ye  what  I  say.  And  may 
He  who  has  all  hearts  in  his  band  lead  you  to  form 
such  a  judgment  as  shall  be  for  your  own  everlasting 
welfare,  and  that  of  your  children.  Amen." 

It  will  be  seen  that  here  is  the  clear  and  distinct 
announcement  of  the  great  principle  embodied  ten 
years  afterwards  in  the  formation  of  the  American 
Temperance  Society,  and  which  was  the  basis,  under 
the  blessing  of  God,  of  the  wonderful  results  effected 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  65 

by  the  temperance  reformation.  Until  the  practical 
application  of  the  principle  of  abstinence  by  the  tem 
perate,  the  efforts  of  philanthropists  were  vainly  di 
rected  to  the  prevention  of  drunkenness  by  regulating 
the  moderate  use. 

To  the  multiplied  claims  upon  him  was  now  added 
an  appointment  from  the  American  Board  for  Foreign 
Missions,  to  act  as  far  as  practicable  throughout  his 
own  county  in  rousing  the  churches  to  that  object  j 
but  he  was  obliged  to  reply,  that  while  he  commended 
the  board  for  seeking  this  mode  of  cooperation,  "  so 
numerous  were  his  present  engagements,  that  he  must 
decline  accepting  the  appointment." 

His  endeared  friend  Rev.  Gordon  Hall,  at  Bom 
bay,  having  written  him  very  earnestly  for  letters  to 
strengthen  and  encourage  him  in  that  "  dry  and  thirs 
ty  land  where  no  water  is,"  he  returned  the  following 
reply : 

To  Rev.   Gordon  Hall,   Bombay,  India. 

"ANDOVER,  Jan.  20, 1817. 

"DEAR  BROTHER  HALL — Yours  of  June  9,  1815, 
I  received  March  18,  1816.  I  have  too  long  delayed 
to  answer  it.  My  only  excuse  is  ill-health,  and  a  vast 
multiplicity  of  avocations.  I  hope  that  I  shall  not 
be  obliged  to  make  this  excuse  any  more. 

"  The  letter  enclosed  to  brother  Olds,  I  directed 
and  forwarded  immediately  to  him.  He  was  settled 
at  Greenfield,  Massachusetts,  but  I  believe  is  now  dis 
missed  on  account  of  having  been  appointed  Professor 
of  Chemistry  in  Middlebury  college. 

"  Your  class-mate  Pomeroy  is  settled  in  Salisbury, 


66  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D  . 

Vermont ;  Brunell  in  Vernon,  New  York ;  and  Ira 
Olds  in  that  vicinity.  Brother  Ware  is  settled  in 
Ware,  Massachusetts,  has  had .  two  powerful  revivals 
of  religion  among  his  people,  and  is  doing  much 
good. 

"  Brother  Seward  is  settled  in  Ohio,  and  very  use 
ful.  Griswold  has  been  settled  in  Blooinfield,  New 
York,  where  President  Fitch  is  now  settled.  Pro 
fessor  Moore,  formerly  of  Leicester,  succeeds  him  as 
President.  Williams  College  is  flourishing. 

"  Should  the  Lord  spare  my  life,  and  continue  me 
in  this  place,  I  should  be  happy  in  a  regular  corre 
spondence  with  you.  If  you  will  write  one  letter  to 
me  whenever  you  have  opportunity,  I  will  try  to  de 
vote  one  evening  every  month  in  writing  to  you. 
This  will  give  you  twelve  letters  a  year,  and  I  shall 
receive  perhaps  two.  If  measured  by  numbers,  you 
will  be  my  debtor,  but  if  by  weight,  I  shall  probably 
be  yours.  In  your  next,  mention  the  subjects  upon 
which  you  wish  me  to  write.  You  have  many  corre 
spondents  from  this  country,  and  you  do  not  wish  me 
to  repeat  what  they  say. 

"  The  great  things  concerning  your  mission  I  get 
from  your  communications  to  the  board;  but  there 
are  many  things  which  will  be  interesting  to  me  and 
useful  to  my  people,  which  I  do  not  get  from  any 
quarter.  I  wish  you  to  write  to  me  just  as  you  would 
talk,  if  you  and  I  could  spend  an  hour  together  every 
month  in  my  study.  All  important  anecdotes,  every 
thing  which  illustrates  the  character  and  condition  of 
the  heathen,  and  the  effect  which  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  has  upon  them  ;  in  short,  every  thing  which 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  67 

will  increase  my  usefulness  to  you,  to  the  heathen, 
and  to  the  church  in  this  country,  will  be  peculiarly 
interesting. 

"  I  have  some  unusual  attention  among  my  people, 
several  cases  of  deep  impression,  and  a  few  of  hopeful 
conversion. 

"  President  Dwight,  President  Backus  of  Hamil 
ton  college,  formerly  of  Bethlem,  and  Dr.  Strong  of 
Hartford,  have  all  died  within  a  few  weeks.  Thus 
the  Lord  is  breaking  in  upon  our  churches ;  but  where 
he  is  taking  away  one,  he  is  raising  up  ten  to  fill  their 
places.  The  American  Education  Society  for  edu 
cating  pious  youth  for  the  gospel  ministry,  which  has 
lately  been  formed,  has  at  present  fifty- three  under  its 
care.  Mr.  Beecher  of  Litchfield  has  just  informed 
us  that  he  shall  shortly  have  fifty  from  that  county, 
whom  he  means  to  send  on  to  fit  for  college  at  our 
academy. 

"  There  are  various  other  similar  societies  in  dif 
ferent  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  there  are  prob 
ably  four  times  as  many  persons  now  preparing  for 
the  ministry  as  at  any  former  period.  Many  of  them, 
no  doubt,  will  be  missionaries. 

"  Tell  brother  and  sister  Bardwell,  if  they  are  with 
you,  that  their  parents  are  well,  and  their  friends 
generally  in  this  town. 

"  Between  sixty  and  seventy  students  in  the  semi 
nary.    Professors  and  families  well,  except  Dr.  Porter, 
who  has  gone  south  for  his  health.     A  remarkable 
time  of  health  the  past  year  in  all  this  region. 
"  Your  affectionate  brother, 

«J.  EDWARDS." 


68  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

The  systematic  efforts  for  "  Doing  Good  "  to  which 
we  have  referred,  having  produced  a  very  happy  in 
fluence  on  the  children  of  his  congregation,  and  frequent 
requests  having  been  received  for  information  as  to 
the  means  which  had  been  used,  he  prepared,  March 
1817,  the  following  valuable  communication  for  the 
Panoplist,  an  able  monthly  religious  publication  then 
conducted  by  Jeremiah  Evarts,  Esq. : 

"PLAN  FOR  THE  MORAL  AND  RELIG-IOUS  IMPROVE- 
MEN!  OF  CHILDREN. 

"In  the  spring  of  1814,  a  Society  consisting  of 
about  seventy  men  was  formed  for  Doing  Good.  In 
the  spring  of  1815,  a  branch  Society  was  formed,  con 
sisting  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  women.  These 
societies  have  in  view  a  number  of  objects,  one  of 
which  is  the  moral  and  religious  improvement  of 
children.  For  this  and  other  purposes,  they  contrib 
ute  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  a  year. 

"  The  concerns  of  the  society  are  conducted  by  a 
standing  committee,  consisting  of  twelve  men,  who 
are  chosen  annually.  They  meet  once  in  three  months 
to  devise  ways  and  means  of  accomplishing  the  ob 
jects  of  the  society.  The  society  have  an  annual 
meeting,  when  they  unite  in  religious  exercises,  and  a 
discourse  is  delivered  by  some  person  previously  ap 
pointed  for  that  purpose.  The  standing  committee 
then  report  their  proceedings  during  the  past  year, 
and  the  success  which  has  attended  them. 

"  In  the  spring  of  1816,  another  branch  Society  was 
formed,  consisting  of  between  two  and  three  hundred 
children.  The  exclusive  object  of  this  branch  is  to 
furnish  the  heathen  with  Bibles.  Every  child  who 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  69 

daily  reads  the  Bible  himself,  or  if  he  is  not  old 
enough  to  read,  who  hears  it  read  by  others,  and  en 
deavors  to  understand  and  obey  it,  and  who  annually 
contributes  to  send  it  to  the  heathen,  is  a  member. 
The  particular  sum  to  be  contributed,  is  left  entirely 
to  the  discretion  of  each  individual. 

"At  the  opening  of  the  schools  in  1816,  each 
teacher  was  furnished  with  a  blank-book  ruled  with 
eight  columns.  On  the  first  column  was  to  be  writ 
ten  the  name  of  each  scholar ;  on  the  second,  his  age ; 
on  the  third,  the  number  of  times  he  had  been  at  the 
head  of  his  class  at  the  last  spelling  for  the  day ;  on 
the  fourth,  the  number  of  books  which  he  had  taken 
from  the  library  ;*  on  the  fifth,  the  number  of  verses 
of  hymns  and  divine  songs  which  he  had  learned ;  on 
the  sixth,  the  number  of  answers  which  he  had  learned 
of  the  shorter  catechism ;  on  the  seventh,  the  number 
of  verses  which  he  had  learned  of  the  Bible ;  and  on 
the  eighth,  the  number  of  cents  which  in  the  course  of 

*  This  library  was  established  in  1815,  by  the  Standing  Com 
mittee  of  the  Society  for  "  Doing  Good."  After  procuring  a  large 
quantity  of  books  suitable  for  children,  they  divided  them  into  as 
many  parcels  as  there  are  schools  in  the  place,  and  took  one  parcel 
enclosed  in  a  trunk  to  each  school.  The  teacher  was  appointed 
librarian.  All  children  whose  conduct  and  improvement  met  the 
approbation  of  the  teacher,  were  allowed  to  take  a  book  from  the 
library  every  Saturday.  The  book  was  charged  to  them,  and  the 
next  Saturday  they  were  required  to  return  it ;  and  if  their  conduct 
during  the  week  had  been  good,  they  were  allowed  to  take  out 
another.  In  the  course  of  six  months,  the  whole  taken  together 
read  more  than  thirty  thousand  pages,  learned  more  than  two  hun 
dred  hymns  and  many  select  portions  of  Scripture ;  and  notwith 
standing  their  unusual  attention  to  reading,  etc.,  their  improve 
ment  in  the  various  branches  of  learning  was  much  greater  than 
had  been  witnessed  before. 


70-  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

one  year  he  had  given  to  the  Bible  Society.  When 
any  scholar  had  in  the  course  of  the  week  saved  any 
thing  for  the  heathen,  he  was  allowed  on  Saturday, 
when  he  took  a  book  from  the  library,  to  hand  it  to 
the  teacher,  and  the  sum  was  recorded  against  his 
name  in  the  eighth  column,  as  a  donation  of  his  to  the 
Bible  Society. 

"  After  the  scholars  were  made  acquainted  with  the 
whole  system,  they  were  informed  that  the  committee 
at  the  close  would  examine  the  schools,  and  inspect 
the  books:  when  at  one  view  they  would  see  how 
many  children  had  attended  school ;  what  was  their 
age;  how  many  times  each  scholar  had  been  at  the 
head  of  his  class ;  how  many  books  he  had  taken  from 
the  library  ;*  how  many  verses  of  hymns  and  divine 
songs  he  had  learned,  how  many  answers  of  the  cat 
echism,  how  many  verses  of  the  Bible;  and  how 
many  cents  he  had  given  to  the  Bible  Society. 

"The  object  of  the  Bible  Society  interested  the 
children  exceedingly.  You  might  see  tears  of  com 
passion  trickle  down  many  eyes  as  they  heard  of  the 
destitute  state  of  the  heathen,  and  their  hearts  beat 
high  with  desires  to  send  them  the  Bible.  The  great 
question  was,  How  shall  we  get  money  to  give  ?  The 
committee  replied,  that  almost  every  one  would  in  the 
course  of  the  year  receive  a  few  cents  from  his  par 
ents  or  friends,  and  that  they  might  save  one  quarter 
or  one  half  of  these,  more  or  less,  as  they  saw  fit ;  and 
that  probably  many  parents  would  give  them  more, 

*  This  would  show  not  only  how  much  he  had  read,  but  also 
what  had  been  his  behavior,  as  no  one  was  allowed  to  take  out 
books  unless  he  behaved  well. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  71 

when  they  found  that  they  devoted  it  to  so  good  an 
object. 

"The  committee  then  pointed  out  four  ways  in 
which  they  might  earn  something  for  this  object. 
They  informed  them  that  each  scholar  who  should  be 
at  the  head  of  his  class  more  than  six  times,  should  be 
considered  as  earning  six  cents,  which  should  be  paid 
for  him  out  of  the  treasury  of  the  Society  for  Doing 
Good,  and  be  recorded  in  the  eighth  column  against 
his  name  as  -a  donation  of  his  to  the  Bible  Society ; 
and  that  the  scholar  who  should  read  the  most  books, 
should  in  the  same  way  and  for  the  same  object 
receive  six  cents  more ;  and  each  scholar  who  should 
learn  such  a  number  of  hymns  and  chapters  in  the 
Bible,  six  cents  more;  and  each  scholar  who  should 
learn  through  the  catechism,  six  cents  more :  and  that 
in  these  ways  they  might  by  their  diligence  and  good 
conduct  greatly  benefit  themselves,  and  at  the  same 
time  be  constantly  earning  something  for  the  heathen. 
Both  teachers  and  scholars  when  the  system  was  un 
folded  entered  into  it  with  very  great  ardor,  and  the 
result  has  surpassed  the  most  sanguine  expectations. 

"  At  the  examination,  it  was  found  that  four  hun 
dred  and  fifteen  children  had  attended  school ;  that 
their  average  age  was.  about  eight  years ;  that  one 
hundred  and  eight  had  been  at  the  head  of  their 
respective  classes  more  than  six  times ;  that  one  hun 
dred  and  twenty-seven  had  learned  through  the  cate 
chism  ;  that  two  hundred  and  forty-one,  all  taken  to 
gether,  had  learned  more  than  seven  thousand  verses  of 
hymns  and  divine  songs,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
one,  more  than  five  thousand  verses  of  the  Bible ;  that 


72  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

two  hundred  and  forty-two  had  become  members  of 
the  Society,  and  had  in  addition  to  their  contributions 
earned  for  it  fifteen  dollars  and  thirty  cents. 

"Their  behavior  at  the  examination  was  remark 
ably  good,  and  it  is  believed  that  they  sustained  a 
better  examination  in  the  various  branches  of  learn 
ing,  than  the  committee  had  ever  witnessed  before. 

"PASTOR." 

The  abundant  labors  of  the  pastor,  and  the  varied 
means  of  grace  to  which  he  and  his  people  were 
directed,  had  now  been  blessed  in  the  accession  to 
the  church  of  more  than  fifty  souls,  who  gave  satisfac 
tory  evidence  that  they  had  been  born  again  by  the 
renewing  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  73 


CHAPTER  III. 

HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER— CONTINUED. 

FIVE    YEARS,  1817-1822. 

AT  this  period  of  his  ministry,  Dr.  Edwards  for  a 
short  time  made  brief  notices  of  the  manner  in  which 
he  employed  each  day,  which  we  give  entire  for  about 
two  weeks,  as  illustrating  the  character  of  his  pas 
toral  life,  his  unwearied  fidelity  to  the  people  of  his 
charge,  and  the  unremitting  consecration  of  his  pow 
ers  to  the  service  of  Christ  and  the  good  of  men. 

"MONDAY,  July  7,  1817.  In  order  to  satisfy  my 
own  mind  upon  a  review  whether  I  spend  my  time  in 
a  manner  the  most  useful  to  my  own  soul,  and  the 
souls  of  my  dear  people,  I  write  the  following  account 
of  a  part  of  my  labors. 

"  0  thou  blessed  Jehovah,  who  hast  the  hearts  of 
all  in  thy  hand,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ  who 
died  for  sinners,  guide  me,  I  beseech  thee  ;  enable  me 
in  all  things  to  glorify  thee  and  promote  the  everlast 
ing  welfare  of  the  souls  of  men ;  grant  me  wisdom 
rightly  to  employ  my  time,  my  talents,  my  influence, 
my  property,  and  all  which  I  possess ;  grant  me  thy 
guiding,  sanctifying,  and  supporting  presence;  pre 
pare  me  to  meet  every  difficulty,  support  every  trial, 
and  discharge  every  duty.  0  grant  me  humility, 
repentance,  faith,  boldness,  and  perseverance  in  the 


74  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

cause  of  the  blessed  Redeemer ;  make  me  exceedingly 
useful,  I  beseech  thee ;  guide  me  in  my  contemplations, 
and  in  my  prayers,  in  studying  the  Scriptures,  in  se 
lecting  texts,  in  writing  and  delivering  sermons.  I 
pray  that  all  may  be  done  in  such  a  manner  as  shall 
be  most  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of 
men ;  guide  me  in  visiting  and  conversing  with  my 
people,  and  in  all  things.  I  am  but  a  child,  I  need 
guidance,  I  need  support,  I  need  wisdom,  sanctifica- 
tion,  and  every  thing.  I  am  a  guilty,  polluted,  ruined 
sinner.  0  for  the  Redeemer's  sake  forgive ;  help  me 
unreservedly  to  surrender  all  into  his  hands,  and 
cheerfully  to  leave  all  for  ever  to  his  disposal.  0  be 
my  hope,  my  guide,  my  support,  my  everlasting  por 
tion;  make  me  instrumental  of  winning  souls  to 
Christ,  and  training  up  many  among  this  dear  people 
for  heaven,  and  thine,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit, 
will  be  all  the  glory.  Amen." 

"MONDAY,  July  7.  In  the  forenoon  I  visited  Mr. 
G.  F.,  conversed  with  him  and  his  family  on  the 
concerns  of  their  souls,  and  on  the  great  importance 
of  being  immediately  prepared  to  die,  and  prayed 
with  and  for  the  family.  I  then  visited  widow  Z.  A., 
and  conversed  with  her  on  eternal  concerns.  In  the 
afternoon  attended  the  monthly  concert  for  prayer,  and 
related  to  a  large  and  solemn  assembly  the  dealings 
of  God  with  many  churches,  in  pouring  out  his  Spirit, 
which  I  learned  on  my  late  journey ;  also  a  number  of 
instances  of  remarkable  conversion.  It  was  a  solemn 
and  interesting  time.  0  Lord,  for  Jesus'  sake,  pour 
out  thy  Spirit  here ;  call  sinners  to  repentance ;  angels 
will  rejoice,  and  thine  be  all  the  glory. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  75 

"TUESDAY,  8.  Attended  the  meeting  of  the  An- 
dover  Association  at  Bradford  and  the  dedication  of 
their  meeting-house. 

"  WEDNESDAY,  9.  Visited  Mr.  W.  G.  Conversed 
with  him  and  his  family  on  divine  things,  and  closed 
with  prayer.  Visited  the  school  in  the  Bailey  dis 
trict,  examined,  conversed,  and  prayed  with  them; 
and  then  visited  the  families  of  Messrs.  S.  F.,  and  J. 
B. ;  conversed  on  the  subject  of  missions,  Christian 
experience,  and  the  salvation  of  their  souls. 

"THURSDAY  10,  A.  H.  I  began  to  write  from 
1  Timothy,  1 : 8,  'The  law  is  good/  etc.  Afternoon, 
visited  Mr.  E.  L.  H.,  conversed  with  him  and  his  wife 
on  the  state  of  their  own  souls  and  on  family  prayer, 
and  prayed  with  them.  Visited  Captain  J.  A.,  con 
versed  and  prayed  with  him  and  the  family. 

"  FRIDAY  11,  A.  M.  Continued  writing  my  sermon. 
Afternoon,  visited  the  family  of  Mr.  J.,  conversed  with 
him  and  his  wife  on  the  state  of  their  own  souls,  and 
on  family  prayer.  Visited  Mr.  E.  J.,  and  conversed 
with  his  family  on  divine  things,  and  some  prom 
inent  traits  of  Christian  experience.  Visited  Mr. 
J.  C.  and  family ;  also  Mr.  H.  and  family,  took 
tea,  conversed,  read  the  Scriptures,  and  prayed  with 
them. 

"SATURDAY  12,  A.  M.  Finished  my  sermon.  In 
the  afternoon  rode  to  Dunstable,  New  Hampshire,  to 
exchange  with  Mr.  S. 

"LORD'S  DAY  13,  A.  M.  Preached  from  2  Timothy, 
3  : 15  ;  afternoon,  from  2  Corinthians,  5  : 17. 

"MONDAY  14,  A.  M.  Rode  to  Andover;  stopped 
at  Messrs.  F.,  B.,  and  G.'s.  In  the  afternoon  visited 


76  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

the  school  in  the  Holt  district,  and  afterwards  con 
versed  and  took  tea  with  Mr.  D.  G. 

"TUESDAY  15,  A.  M.  Attended  a  little  to  domes 
tic  concerns,  and  wrote  three  letters  to  distant  friends. 
Afternoon,  visited  the  school  in  the  Abbot  district,  and 
the  families  of  J.  P.  and  E.  F. 

"WEDNESDAY  16,  A.  M.  Began  to  write  a  sermon 
from  Acts  7  :60.  Afternoon,  visited,  examined,  con 
versed,  and  prayed  with  the  school  in  the  Osgood 
district.  Yisited,  conversed,  and  prayed  with  the 
family  of  Mrs.  J. 

"THURSDAY  17,  A.  M.  Yisited  Deacon  Newman, 
then  continued  writing  the  sermon  above-mentioned. 
Afternoon,  visited  and  conversed  with  Esquire  K.'s 
family ;  visited  Esquire  A.'s  family,  took  tea,  con 
versed  with  them  and  several  of  the  neighbors  who 
were  assembled,  and  closed  with  prayer.  In  the 
evening  visited  Mrs.  W.,  a  woman  who  has  lately  lost 
her  husband,  and  is  left  with  a  family  of  children. 
May  the  widow's  God  guide  and  support  her,  and 
bless  her  children. 

"FRIDAY  18,  A.  M.  Finished  my  sermon.  After 
noon,  visited  Lieutenant  S.  J. ;  conversed  with  him, 
his  family,  and  several  of  the  neighbors  who  were 
assembled  ;  took  tea,  read  a  portion  of  Scripture,  and 
closed  with  prayer. 

"  SATURDAY  19,  A.  M.  Spent  in  reading,  and  attend 
ing  to  domestic  concerns.  Afternoon,  visited  H.  R., 
who  was  sick  with  a  fever,  conversed  with  her  and 
her  father's  family,  and  closed  with  prayer. 

"LORD'S  DAY  20,  A.  M.  Preached  from  1  Timothy, 
1:8,'  We  know  that  the  law  is  good,  if  a  man  use  it 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  77 

lawfully.7  First,  showed  the  goodness  of  the  law ; 
secondly,  pointed  out  the  lawful  use  of  it ;  then  drew 
some  practical  conclusions.  Afternoon,  preached  from 
Acts  7:60,'  And  he  kneeled  down/  etc. 

"MONDAY  21,  A.  M.  Exercised  in  the  morning; 
then  visited  Captain  J.  A.,  and  spent  the  rest  of  the 
morning  in  reading,  etc.  Afternoon,  went  to  W.  A. 
and  Mr.  N.'s  on  business  ;  called  at  Mr.  N.  A.'s.  Visited 
Captain  B.,  conversed  with  the  family,  took  tea,  read  a 
portion  of  Scripture,  and  closed  with  prayer.  Visited 
and  transacted  business  with  A.  B.,  Esq. 

"  TUESDAY  22,  A.  M.  Spent  in  searching  the  Scrip 
tures,  reading,  and  writing.  Afternoon,  visited,  con 
versed,  and  prayed  with  Mr.  D.  W.,  and  with  Mr. 
A.  J.  and  family ;  perused  the  Recorder,  Missionary 
Register,  and  wrote  a  letter  to  Dr.  M. 

"  WEDNESDAY  23,  A.  M.  Wrote  part  of  a  sermon 
from  Numbers  14  :  35.  Afternoon,  received  a  visit 
from  a  parishioner ;  attended  a  meeting  of  the  com 
mittee  of  the  Andover  South  Parish  Society  for  the 
Reformation  of  Morals,  took  tea,  sung,  conversed,  and 
closed  with  prayer." 

He  had  a  quick  discernment  of  the  moral  and 
spiritual  state  and  wants  of  his  people ;  and  in  his 
pastoral  visits,  as  in  his  other  labors,  sought  their 
highest  temporal  and  eternal  good.  His  warm  heart 
was  full  of  love,  and  they  could  unburden  to  him 
their  sorrows ;  while  there  was  in  him  a  native  dig 
nified  reserve,  which,  with  his  commanding  presence, 
and  well-weighed  words,  forbade  what  was  trifling, 
and  especially  what  might  be  said  to  the  injury  of 


78  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

others.  "Mr.  Edwards,"  said  Major  C.,  "will  hear 
all  you  have  to  say,  but  if  you  speak  against  any 
body,  you  never  get  any  thing  back."  When  they 
sought  his  counsel,  they  received  words  of  heavenly 
wisdom,  often  drawn  directly  from  the  inspired  ora 
cles  ;  and  the  way  in  which  he  read  and  expounded 
brief  portions  of  Scripture,  and  the  solemnity  and 
unction  of  his  prayers,  inspired  all  with  love  and  con 
fidence  in  him  who  was  set  to  watch  for  their  souls. 
Their  difficulties,  misapprehensions,  or  inquiries  as  to 
scripture  truth  or  the  way  of  salvation,  often  suggested 
to  him  topics  for  the  pulpit,  and  frequently  on  a  suc 
ceeding  Sabbath  they  had  an  able  public  elucidation 
of  the  subject  on  which  they  had  conversed. 

His  public  ministrations  embraced  a  wide  range 
of  subjects,  frequently  having  reference  to  the  events 
of  Providence  among  his  people  from  which  he 
thought  they  should  receive  instruction,  but  mainly 
drawn  from  the  exhaustless  fountains  of  light  and 
truth  and  duty  in  the  word  of  God.  To  a  young 
preacher  who  expressed  his  wonder  that  a  minister 
could  find  new  subjects  for  his  stated  preaching,  he 
doubtless  gave  his  own  experience  when  he  replied, 
that  "  to  any  minister  who  loves  and  prayerfully 
studies  the  Bible,  topics  rich  and  new  will  be  suggest 
ed,  more  than  he  can  preach  from."  From  time  to 
time  he  preached  on  striking  passages  or  historic 
facts,  as  recorded  in  the  order  of  the  sacred  records, 
or  on  some  book  of  the  New  Testament ;  and  just 
previous  to  the  dates  of  the  above  memoranda,  he  had 
completed  a  course  of  able  sermons  on  the  ten  com 
mandments. 


HIS  MINISTRY   IN  ANDOVER.  79 

His  public  ministrations  were  always  solemn,  ten 
der,  impressive,  as  if  he  would  rescue  souls  from  eter 
nal  death  and  raise  them  to  eternal  glory.  Christ 
and  his  salvation  was  the  theme  that  underlay  all  his 
instructions.  He  preached  as  if  what  he  wrote  thirty 
years  after  in  his  comment  on  Christ  the  shepherd  of 
the  sheep  had  been  constantly  before  him  :  "  Eeal 
Christians  have  spiritual  discernment  and  relish  of 
the  great  truths  of  the  gospel.  No  instruction,  how 
ever  specious  or  learned,  which  denies  or  omits  the 
doctrine  of  Christ  crucified  as  a  divine  atoning  Saviour, 
satisfies  them,  commends  itself  to  their  conscience,  if 
enlightened,  or  meets  their  wants  as  sinners."  In  a 
sermon  preached  about  this  period  in  several  church 
es  and  in  the  theological  seminary,  (in  connection 
with  which  a  new  church  had  now  been  organized,) 
from  the  words,  "We  preach  CHRIST  CRUCIFIED,  unto 
the  Jews  a  stumbling-block  and  unto  the  Greeks 
foolishness,  but  unto  them  who  are  called,  both  Jews 
and  Greeks,  Christ  the  power  of  God  and  the  wis 
dom  of  God,"  he  says, 

"  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  wonder  of  all  worlds. 
There  is  no  being  like  him  in  the  universe.  He  is 
the  everlasting  Jehovah,  and  the  man  Christ  Jesus. 
He  is  'the  root/  and  'the  offspring'  of  David,  the 
Alpha  and  Omega,  who  liveth,  who  was  dead,  who  is 
alive  for  evermore. 

"  The  object  of  Christ  is  wonderful :  to  ransom  un 
numbered  millions  of  his  enemies  from  everlasting  woe, 
and  raise  them  to  be  kings  and  priests  unto  God. 

"  To  accomplish  this,  his  work  has  been  wonderful. 
He  left  the  bosom  of  the  Father  and  the  glory  he 


80  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

had  with  him  before  the  world  was,  took  the  form  of 
a  servant,  and  with  the  riches  of  the  universe  in  his 
hand,  had  not  where  to  lay  his  head.  Although  he 
controlled  the  elements  and  raised  the  dead,  com 
manded  legions  of  angels,  and  devils  fell  prostrate 
before  him,  '  he  was  led  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter, 
and  as  a  sheep  dumb  before  her  shearers,  he  opened 
not  his  mouth.7  He  was  the  Maker  of  heaven  and  of 
earth ;  the  Prince  of  life,  yet  he  'cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  and  yielded  up  the  ghost.7 

"  The  effect  was  wonderful.  The  earth  trembled, 
rocks  rent,  graves  opened,  and  even  crucifiers  said 
he  was  the  Son  of  God.  The  third  day  he  arose,  laid 
aside  his  grave-clothes,  went  out  to  his  disciples  and 
said,  '  Behold,  it  is  I.7  He  showed  them  his  hands, 
his  side,  and  said,  '  Peace  be  unto  you.  All  power 
is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth.  As  my 
Father  hath  sent  me,  so  send  I  you.  And  he  breathed 
on  them  and  said,  Keceive  the  Holy  Ghost.  Go  ye 
into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature.  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved ;  but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned. 
And  he  led  them  out  to  Bethany,  and  lifted  up  his 
hands,  and  blessed  them  ;  and  while  he  blessed  them, 
was  parted  from  them,  and  went  up  into  heaven,  and 
a  cloud  received  him  put  of  their  sight.7 

"  His  present  state  is  wonderful.  '  I  beheld,  and  lo,  in 
the  midst  of  the  throne  and  of  the  elders,  stood  a  Lamb 
as  it  had  been  slain ;  and  they  fell  down  before  him 
and  sung,  Thou  art  worthy.  Thou  wast  slain,  and 
hast  redeemed  us  to  God.7  And  angels,  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousand  and  thousands  of  thousands,  cried, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  81 

Worthy,  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom, 
and  strength.  And  every  creature  in  heaven,  on 
earth,  and  under  the  earth,  cried,  Blessing,  and  honor, 
and  glory ;  and  the  four  beasts  said,  Amen ;  and  all 
heaven  bowed  before  him. 

"After  viewing  this  wonderful  Christ,  you  will 
not  be  surprised  if  the  preaching  of  him  should  pro 
duce  WONDERFUL  EFFECTS.  It  does.  'We  preach 
Christ  crucified,  the  power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of 
God.'  The  apostle  Paul  did  not  preach  Seneca  nor 
Plato,  nor  any  of  the  wise  men  among  the  heathen. 
He  did  not  preach  St.  Paul.  He  did  not  preach  an 
angel,  nor  the  highest  created  being  in  heaven.  No ; 
he  preached  CHRIST.  And  he  did  not  preach  Christ 
as  a  man  merely,  a  moral  teacher,  an  example,  a  pat 
tern  for  imitation ;  but  Christ  CRUCIFIED,  the  great 
atoning  sacrifice  for  sin,  without  the  shedding  of 
whose  blood  there  could  be  no  remission  ;  who  '  was 
wounded  for  our  transgressions,  and  bruised  for  our 
iniquities.'  He  preached  the  way  of  salvation  through 
faith  in  a  crucified  Redeemer,  and  he  preached  no 
other.  Wherever  he  went,  he  'determined  not  to 
know  any  thing,  save  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified/ 
Although  he  had  as  exalted  views  of  Christ's  per 
sonal  character  as  any  man  ever  had,  yet  he  saw  in 
him  no  hope  for  dying  sinners  till  he  beheld  him  on 
the  cross — '  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world.7 

"  He  preached  {  God  manifest  in  the  flesh.'  And 
he  showed  why  this  manifestation  was  necessary.  Be 
cause  men  have  '  all  gone  out  of  the  way ;'  have  al 
together  become  filthy;  because  'there  is  none  that 


62  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

doeth  good,  no,  not  one  f  because  men  naturally  are 
carnally  minded,  and  '  to  be  carnally  minded  is  death/ 
for  it  is  '  enmity  against  God.'  He  showed  them, 
without  reserve,  that  they  had  destroyed  themselves, 
and  that  in  God  alone  is  their  help ;  and  held  up 
Christ  crucified,  entering  the  holy  place  with  his  own 
blood,  saying,  '  Such  a  High-priest  became  us,  who  is 
holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  separate  from  sinners,  and 
higher  than  the  heavens  ;'  who  was  appointed  of  God 
to  make  atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  people ;  suffer 
ing  for  them,  shedding  his  own  blood,  dying  for  them 
while  enemies,  that  they  might  be  'reconciled/  and 
made  the  '  righteousness  of  God '  in  him.  He  pressed 
upon  them  their  perishing  need  of  such  a  Saviour ;  one 
who  could,  'through  the  eternal  Spirit,  offer  himself 
without  spot  to  God/  '  a  living  sacrifice ;'  who  could 
'  enter  into  the  holy  place  with  his  own  blood/  '  ob 
tain  eternal  redemption/  and  as  Captain  of  salvation, 
be  '  made  perfect  through  suffering.' 

"He  showed  them  what  they  must  be,  and  what 
they  must  do,  in  order  to  become  interested  in  Christ 
and  partakers  of  his  blessings :  that  they  must  feel 
their  need  of  him ;  that  they  must  abhor  sin,  and  look 
to  Christ  for  pardon,  and  receive  him  as  their  hope 
and  portion  ;  that  they  must  repent,  and  believe  on  the 
Lord  Jems  Christ.  He  told  them  what  repentance  is, 
and  pointed  out  the  difference  between  that  '  godly 
sorrow '  which  worketh  repentance  unto  life,  and  that 
1  sorrow  of  the  world '  which  worketh  death  ;  and  the 
difference  between  that  faith  which  '  worketh  by  love/ 
and  the  faith  of  devils.  He  showed  them,  that  repent 
ance  and  faith  are  evidences  of  love  to  God;  and 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  83 

that  they  must  be  created  anew  in  Christ  Jesus  unto 
good  works.  He  showed  the  author  of  this  change  : 
that  Christians  are  born  of  the  Spirit,  '  not  of  blood, 
nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but 
of  God ;'  that  it  was  '  not  by  works  of  righteousness 
which  they  had  done,  but  according  to  his  mercy  he 
saved  them,  by  the  washing  of  regeneration  and 
renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost/  'that  they  should  be 
holy  and  without  blame  before  him  in  love.' " 

On  the  17th  of  September,  1817,  Dr.  Edwards  was 
married  to  Miss  Lydia  Bigelow,  daughter  of  Asa  Big- 
elow,  Esquire,  of  Colchester,  Connecticut,  and  till  the 
close  of  liis  earthly  life,  she  was  his  firm,  consistent, 
devoted  "  helper  in  Christ  Jesus."  It  gives  us  pleas 
ure  to  state,  that  for  more  than  three  years  from  the 
time  of  his  ordination,  the  venerated  widow  of  Samuel 
Abbot,  Esq.,  welcomed  Dr.  Edwards  as  a  guest  in  her 
own  mansion,  not  neglecting  the  noble  animal  that 
bore  him  over  the  hills  and  plains  in  his  abundant  pas 
toral  labors,  until  her  death,  February  12, 1816,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-nine.  Not  far  from  the  time 
of  her  death,  a  commodious  house,  in  a  favorable  loca 
tion  for  the  pastor,  having  been  offered  for  sale,  with 
characteristic  forethought,  economy,  and  discretion  in 
the  management  of  his  worldly  concerns,  to  which  he 
had  been  trained  in  early  life,  he  purchased  it  j  apply 
ing  in  payment  what  could  be  saved  from  his  salary 
before  his  family  became  large  and  expensive;  and 
this,  except  at  intervals,  was  the  home  of  his  family 
till  his  death.  He  scrupulously  refrained  from  all 
unnecessary  business  engagements,  or  speculations, 


84  EEV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

from  buying  or  selling  for  purposes  of  gain,  and  from 
incurring  unnecessary  debts,  as  inconsistent  with  the 
duties  and  responsibilities  of  his  sacred  calling.  He 
was  careful,  accurate,  and  noiseless  in  his  pecuniary 
transactions,  always  husbanding  his  resources,  though 
giving  liberally  to  the  poor  and  to  charitable  objects. 
What  from  time  to  time  was  saved,  he  committed 
chiefly  to  a  responsible  business  relative,  who  took 
charge  of  it.  Few  ministers  ever  had  so  little  hin- 
derance  in  their  work  from  pecuniary  perplexity; 
and  as  his  life  was  long  preserved,  under  the  smiles 
of  Providence,  the  small  savings  of  years  enabled 
him  to  leave  his  widow  and  the  children  remaining 
with  her  in  comfortable  circumstances,  in  the  pleas 
ant  home  endeared  to  them  by  the  memory  of  the  hus 
band  and  father. 

In  January,  1818,  he  was  acting  with  the  Eev. 
Drs.  Jedidiah  Morse  of  Charlestown,  and  Samuel 
Worcester  of  Salem,  as  a  committee  of  the  General 
Association  of  Massachusetts  to  adopt  proper  means 
for  establishing  a  Domestic  Missionary  Society,  for 
supplying  needy  parishes  and  the  waste  places  of  the 
state,  which  resulted  in  the  formation  of  the  "  Massa 
chusetts  Missionary  Society."  He  was  frequently 
engaged  in  consultations  and  plans  for  the  society 
then  recently  formed  to  Educate  Pious  Youth  for  the 
Ministry,  into  which  the  Kev.  Professor  Porter  threw 
all  his  energies.  He  was  also  examining  and  acting 
on  important  publications  for  the  Tract  Society  ;  and 
in  behalf  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  wrote  the 
following  letter  to  the  "  Church  Missionary  Society/' 
in  London. 


V 

HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOTHR.  85 

To  the  Rev.    Josiah   Pratt,   Secretary   of  the    Church 
»  Missionary    Society. 

"ANDOVER,  April  28, 1818. 

"  REV.  AND  DEAR  SIR — A  few  days  ago  I  received 
from  the  hand  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Morse,  of  Charlestown, 
a  copy  of  your  truly  excellent  Missionary  Register. 
I  have  perused  it  with  the  greatest  satisfaction.  Its 
spirit  is  catholic  and  evangelical,  and  the  facts  which 
it  records  transcendently  glorious.  It  must,  I  think, 
be  extensively  useful  not  only  in  this  country,  but 
wherever  it  circulates  throughout  the  Christian 
world. 

"  The  friends  of  Zion  will  rejoice  to  see  the  church 
of  England  rising  in  her  strength,  or  rather  the 
strength  of  her  Redeemer,  and  scattering  the  light 
of  his  salvation  over  the  world.  Her  example  will 
awaken  a  holy  emulation  in  the  breasts  of  millions, 
and  the  record  of  her  achievements  be  a  lasting  mon 
ument  of  her  glory.  She  in  a  peculiar  manner  is  a 
city  set  upon  a  hill.  May  her  light  so  shine,  that 
even  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  see  and  glorify  her 
Father  who  is  in  heaven. 

"  Let  all  portions  of  the  Christian  church  follow 
her  noble  example ;  let  them  forget  minor,  unessential 
distinctions,  fix  their  eyes  on  the  great  interests  of 
the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  and  with  one  heart  and  soul 
steadily  pursue  them,  and  He  shall  soon  have  'the 
heathen  for  his  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of 
the  earth  for  his  possession.7  He  shall  reign  from  sea 
to  sea,  and  earth  be  indeed  an  emblem  of  heaven. 

"One  powerful  means  of  hastening  this  day  of 
glory,  would  be  the  circulation  of  your  Missionary 


86  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

Register.  I  trust  that  it  will  circulate  extensively ; 
that  your  labors,  and  those  of  your  associates,  with 
all  of  every  kindred  and  name,  will  be  abundantly 
blessed,  and  receive  at  last  a  gracious  and  eternal 
reward. 

"  I  remain  with  respect  and  affectionate  salutation, 
"  Your  brother  in  the  gospel, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

The  next  month  he  preached  a  sermon  on  "How 
is  it  that  ye  do  not  discern  this  time  ?"  which  shows 
how  deeply  his  heart  was  enlisted  for  the  conversion 
of  the  world ;  and  at  the  same  time  how  interesting 
and  hopeful  was  the  period  in  which  he  was  then  act 
ing.  His  object  was  to  show  some  of  the  then  exist 
ing  indications  that  Christ  was  about  to  appear  in  the 
glorious  enlargement  of  his  kingdom. 

One  sign  was,  "  The  kingdom  of  Christ  has  become 
exceedingly  dear  to  the  hearts  of  his  people,  and  they  are 
now  ardently  wishing  and  fervently  praying  to  have 
it  extended  through  the  world." 

Another  sign  was,  "The  widely  extended  concert  for 
prayer"  He  says,  that  about  twenty  years  before,  a 
few  Christians -met  in  a  private  room  in  Great  Britain 
and  agreed  to  spend  a  part  of  the  first  Monday  even 
ing  in  every  month  in  prayer  for  the  conversion  of  the 
world ;  that  it  was  now  observed  by  Christians  in 
almost  every  part  of  the  earth,  and  probably  by  as 
many  as  fifteen  hundred  churches  in  the  United  States. 
"When  such  multitudes  '  agree  touching  the  thing  they 
shall  ask/  is  it  not  a  sign  that  '  it  shall  be  done  for 
them  by  their  Father  who  is  in  heaven  ?' " 

Another  sign  is,  "  The  many  answers  to  prayer  which 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  87 

God  has  already  given.  While  Christians  have  been 
praying,  the  Lord  has  been  pouring  out  his  Spirit. 
There  have  been  more  revivals  of  religion  during  a 
few  years  past,  than  for  many  years  before ;  and  a  far 
greater  proportion  of  the  subjects  of  grace  are  young 
men,  and  a  great  portion  of  thtfm  are  preparing  for  the 
ministry — while  the  fields  are  white  to  the  harvest, 
and  a  cry  is  heard  from  six  hundred  millions,  '  Come 
over  and  help  us.'" 

Another  sign  is,  "  The  exertions  which  have  been 
made  to  supply  the  destitute  millions.  More  than  three 
hundred  missionaries  have  already  gone  forth ;  and 
old  men  and  maidens,  young  men  and  children,  are 
giving  for  their  support.  Who  would  have  thought, 
twenty  years  ago,  that  more  than  three  thousand  dollars 
in  a  month  would  have  been  contributed  in  this  country 
for  this  purpose  ?" 

Another  sign  is,  "  The  circulation  of  the  Bible.  It  has 
already  been  circulated  in  more  than  sixty  languages, 
and  is  read  by  thousands,  and  even  millions,  where  till 
lately  Christ  never  was  known.  This  shows  that  the 
work  is  of  God.  It  is  not  the  work  of  Satan,  nor  of 
the  pride  of  man.  If  these  would  translate  and  dis 
tribute  Bibles,  it  would  have  been  the  work  of  every 
generation  since  the  fall.  Wicked  men  and  devils 
may  oppose  this  work ;  but  it  will  go  onward,  borne 
by  millions  of  hearts  and  millions  of  hands,  and  on  the 
arm  which  is  almighty,  till  it  scatters  light  and  life  on 
every  land." 

The  last  sign  is,  "  The  great  attention  which  is  paid  to 
children.  They  are  beginning  to  be  viewed  as  they 
actually  are,  as  the  rising  hope  of  the  church.  Often 


88  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

has  God  poured  out  his  Spirit;  children  have  been 
born  again,  and  '  out  of  the  mouths  of  babes  and  suck 
lings  has  he  perfected  praise.'  God  will  raise  up 
new  generations  to  fill  the  places  of  their  fathers,  and 
do  vastly  more  than  they,  till  the  'kingdoms  of  this 
world  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  of  his 
Christ.'" 

The  preservation  of  the  following  gem  from  his 
distinguished,  self-sacrificing  friend  in  Burmah,  will 
not  be  unacceptable  to  many  readers. 

"RANGOON,  October  1, 1818. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER — As  I  do  not  know  any  per 
son  in  Andover  connected  with  the  Society  of  Mission 
Inquiry  in  the  Theological  institution  but  yourself,  I 
take  the  liberty  of  sending  you  by  the  hands  of  Dr. 
Baldwin  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  dollars,  which 
I  consider  due  from  myself  to  that  society,  desiring 
that  you  will  have  the  goodness  to  pay  it  to  the  treas 
urer  or  proper  officer ;  and  you  will  greatly  oblige, 
"  Your  friend  and  brother, 

"A.  JUDSON. 
"Rev.  J.  EDWABDS." 

To  a  dear  and  intimate  friend,  under  different 
dates,  he  writes  more  respecting  his  work  and  the 
relations  he  sustained  to  the  people  of  his  charge,  than 
he  has  before  expressed. 

"  I  wish  to  place  myself '  behind/  with  those  things 
which  the  apostle  says  must  be  forgotten  ;  and  before 
me  to  place  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  good  to  look  much  on 
him.  The  sight  is  transforming.  The  more  we  love, 
admire,  and  copy  his  excellences,  the  more  we  shall 


%     HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  89 

be  like  him ;  He  is  the  source  of  all  good,  and  other 
things  will  be  the  means,  just  in  proportion  as  they 
lead  us  to  him. 

"  I  have  a  great  work  to  do  :  the  spiritual  care  of 
three  hundred  and  fifty  families,  and  perhaps  twenty 
that  I  have  promised  to  visit  noiu,  as  soon  as  I  can. 
The  schools  are  now  opening,  and  I  must  visit  them. 
I  must  prepare  the  constitution  of  their  Bible  Society 
and  a  catalogue  of  their  members.  My  good  women 
are  helping  me  in  this  as  much  as  they  can." 

Again  he  says,  "I  do  think  that  my  enjoyment 
consists  less  and  less  in  worldly  things,  and  that  I  am 
happy  just  in  proportion  as  I  enjoy  the  guiding,  sup 
porting,  sanctifying,  comforting  presence  of  the  Spirit 
of  God.  His  favor  is  life  ;  his  loving-kindness  better 
than  life.  How  blessed  would  it  be  to  be  able  to  say 
at  all  times,  '  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  thee  ?' 

"  A  young  woman  called  upon  me  on  Saturday  in 
a  state  of  great  anxiety  for  her  soul.  She  could  say 
but  little,  appeared  to  be  burdened  with  a  sense  of 
sin,  and  by  her  looks  and  many  tears  expressed  the 
anguish  of  her  soul.  I  hope  God  will  grant  her,  and 
many  others,  repentance  unto  life.  How  important 
that  ministers  should  preach  faithfully,  walk  humbly, 
pray  fervently,  and  suffer  patiently  the  whole  will  of 
God." 

Again  he  says,  "  It  is  good  to  receive  all  our  mer 
cies  as  from  the  hand  of  God,  to  feel  that  He  gives 
them,  and  that  they  come  as  the  purchase  of  Imman- 
uel's  blood.  A  number  are  anxiously  inquiring  what 
they  must  do  to  be  saved ;  and  a  few  are  entertaining 
the  hope  that  they  have  lately  passed  from  death  unto 


90  REV.   JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

life.  But  there  is  the  same  opposition  to  the  truth  as 
it  is  in  Jesus  here,  as  in  all  other  places.  How  we 
ought  to  rejoice  that  the  Lord  has  all  hearts  in  his 
hands.  I  hope  that  he  will  yet  here  subdue  multi 
tudes  to  himself.  Next  Sabbath  is  our  communion. 
Pray  that  the  Lord  will  manifest  his  saving -power  in 
the  midst  of  us." 

At  another  date  he  says,  "Several  persons  are 
most  deeply  impressed.  I  need  wisdom,  I  need  grace, 
I  need  every  thing.  Precious  promise,  '  Whatsoever 
ye  shall  ask  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do/  I  hope  the 
Lord  will  prepare  us  to  see  a  great  revival  here.  It 
is  a  great  honor,  as  well  as  a  source  of  rich  comfort, 
to  be  permitted  to  labor  for  God  in  promoting  the 
kingdom  of  his  Son.  How  much  we  are  indebted  to 
Jesus  Christ.  We  owe  him  all,  ALL. 

"  That  minister  is  exceedingly  unwise  who  says,  or 
even  thinks  much  about  his  trials  ;  for  however  great, 
they  are  but  light  and  momentary,  not  worthy  to  be 
compared  with  the  glory  that  shall  be  revealed. 
Trials  do  not  destroy  a  Christian's  happiness ;  nay, 
sometimes  the  greater  the  trial  the  greater  the  joy. 
If  I  could  always  feel  as  I  think  Paul  and  Silas  felt 
in  prison,  when  they  sang  at  midnight  so  that  the  pris 
oners  heard  them,  I  should  not  envy  the  mightiest 
monarch  that  ever  graced  a  throne.  If  when  we  do 
well  we  suffer  for  it,  happy  are  we.  If  called  to  suffer 
with  Christ,  may  we  not  hope  to  reign  with  him?  this 
is  enough ;  and  what  a  wonder  of  wonders,  that  guilty 
rebels  may  hope  for  it.  Our  happiness  must  not  be 
expected  from  the  world  ;  nor  in  what  the  world  calls 
exemption  from  trials  ;  nor  from  the  praises  of  men ; 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANUOVER.  91 

but  from  communion  with  God,  enjoying  his  presence, 
doing  his  will,  and  striving  by  his  grace  to  prepare 
ourselves  and  all  around  us  for  his  glory.  I  preached 
yesterday  from  1  Tim.  6 : 17  ;  a  large  and  solemn 
audience.  Some,  I  trust,  are  mourning  in  bitterness 
over  their  sins." 

Again  he  writes,  "Last  Monday  I  attended  a 
wedding  at  H.,  with  Rev.  Mr.  W.  the  pastor.  A 
great  collection  of  people  assembled.  After  the  mar 
riage  was  solemnized,  they  were  earnest  in  their 
requests  that  I  should  speak  to  them.  After  speak 
ing  of  the  marriage  union,  I  attempted  to  describe  the 
union  between  Christ  and  believers ;  and  to  show 
that  it  is  a  vital  union,  an  endearing  union,  and  an 
everlasting  union ;  that  those  who  possess  it  have  the 
pardon  of  sin,  justification,  a  growing  conformity  to 
Christ,  support  in  trials,  consolation  in  death,  a  part 
in  the  first  resurrection,  triumph  at  the  judgment,  and 
everlasting  glory  with  Christ  in  his  kingdom.  It  was 
a  very  solemn,  interesting  time." 

Again,  "There  is  more  than  usual  attention  in 
one  part  of  the  town  to  'the  one  thing  needful/  and 
several  have  hopefully  obtained  it." 

To  Mrs.  Edwards'  brother,  then  in  a  desponding  state  of 
mind. 

"Mr  DEAR  BROTHER — I  learn  by  a  letter  from 
A.  E.,  which  Mrs.  Edwards  received  yesterday,  that 
although  you  have  at  times  enjoyed  some  hope  that 
you  are  born  of  God,  yet  you  were,  when  she  wrote, 
in  darkness,  borne  down  by  the  apprehension  that  you 
remain  still  impenitent.  And  should  you  continue,  my 
dear  brother,  to  look  only  at  yourself  and  ruminate 


92  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

on  the  state  of  your  own  heart,  you  might  never  ob 
tain  relief.  For  the  heart  is  at  best  a  sink  of  iniquity, 
which  none  but  the  eye  of  God  can  fathom ;  it  is  full 
of  pollution  and  black  with  guilt ;  and  so  long  as  you 
continue  to  look  only  at  that,  you  may  see  nothing 
but  darkness  and  despair. 

"But  'the  chief  end  of  man/  is  not  to  continue 
looking  at  himself.  It  is  to  glorify  God,  in  whom 
there  is  light  and  no  darkness  at  all  \m  who  is  the 
centre  and  source  of  blessedness,  and  the  sum  of  all 
perfection.  Make  it,  then,  the  single  object  of  your 
soul,  in  all  things  to  honor  and  glorify  Him,  to  live 
not  unto  yourself,  but  unto  Him  that  died  for  sin 
ners  and  rose  again. 

"So  long  as  you  continue  to  look  at  yourself,  you 
can  see  nothing  but  darkness ;  but  look  to  God,  act 
for  Him,  labor  for  Him,  and  live  for  Him,  trusting 
alone  in  Jesus  to  enable  you  to  do  it  and  to  be  ac 
cepted  in  it,  and  you  may  have  light.  Or  if  you  do 
not  have  light,  you  may  do  that  which  is  infinitely 
more  important,  you  may  glorify  God,  you  may  do 
good,  you  may  be  instrumental  in  the  salvation  of 
souls  who  will  bless  God  for  ever,  and  a  revenue  of 
everlasting  glory  will  redound  to  his  great  and  holy 
name.'7 

To    an  afflicted  woman. 

"  DEAR  MRS.  W. — Yours  of  the  2d  inst.  to  Mrs. 
Edwards  was  received  and  read  with  the  interest 
which  she  takes  in  all  cases  of  sorrow,  especially  in 
every  thing  which  relates  to  her  dear  Mrs.  W.  As 
she  has  not  been  well  for  a  few  days,  she  requested 
me  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.      .  93 

"  We  rejoice  that  you  have  been  so  far  favored  by  the 
Lord,  and  hope  that  his  mercies  will  still  be  continued 
to  you.  We  sympathize  with  you  in  your  afflictions, 
and  hope  that  the  Lord  will  sanctify  them  to  you. 
We  know  that  they  must  be  great,  very  great,  but 
how  great  none  can  tell  till  they  feel  them.  Yet  such 
afflictions  do  not  rise  from  the  dust,  nor  spring  from 
the  ground  ;  they  are  ordered  by  a  wise  and  good 
God,  and  they  go  where  he  sends  them,  and  like  all 
other  trials,  will  work  out  an  exceeding  and  eternal 
weight  of  glory  to  those  who  love  Him.  We  hope 
that  they  will  be  the  means  of  leading  you  to  see  the 
evil  of  sin,  to  loathe  and  abhor  it,  to  be  humble  under 
the  chastising  hand  of  God ;  to  choose  Jesus  Christ 
for  your  portion,  and  find  great  satisfaction  in  com 
mitting  yourself,  your  dear  children,  your  husband, 
and  all  your  interests  and  concerns  to  his  infinitely 
wise  and  good  disposal. 

"  The  Lord  has  all  hearts  in  his  hands,  and  he  can 
turn  them  as  the  rivers  of  water  are  turned.  He  can 
overrule  all  your  concerns,  and  bring  them  to  such  a 
result  as  will  be  most  for  his  glory,  for  your  good, 
and  the  good  of  your  children.  We  know  not  what 
is  best  for  us.  It  is  good  to  have  all  our  concerns  in 
the  hands  of  God,  and  commit  them  all  for  time  and 
eternity  to  his  disposal.  Dear  Mrs.  W.,  we  hope  that 
you  will  give  him  your  own  heart,  your  children,  your 
husband,  and  rejoice  to  have  him  do  with  and  for 
you  all,  as  seemeth  good  in  his  sight.  If  your  trials 
should  be  the  means  of  leading  you  to  Jesus  Christ, 
and  teaching  you  to  lay  up  your  treasure,  not  on 
earth,  but  in  heaven,  you  will  number  them  in  eternity 


94  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

as  among  your  choicest  mercies.  They  will  be  light 
afflictions,  but  for  a  moment,  and  you  will  say,  Blessed 
afflictions,  which  weaned  me  from  the  world,  led  me 
to  seek  God  as  my  portion,  and  lay  up  treasure  where 
sins,  and  of  course  sorrows,  never  enter,  where  the 
Lamb  leads  his  people  to  fountains  of  living  water, 
and  wipes  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes. 

/'Praying  that  you  may  have  the  guidance  and 
blessing  of  God  ;  that  he  will  direct  all  your  concerns 
in  mercy,  and  hereafter  bring  you,  your  dear  children 
and  husband,  with  all  the  redeemed,  to  his  heavenly 
kingdom,  we  remain,  with  tender  sympathy  and  af 
fection, 

"  Your  unworthy 

"FRIENDS," 

To  his  sister,  Mrs.  C.,   on   the  birth  of  her   first  child. 

"BELOVED  SISTER — When  I  have  seen  a  smiling 
babe  in  a  mother's  arms,  I  have  often  thought  that 
God  might  be  considered  as  speaking  to  her  as  the 
daughter  of  Pharaoh  spoke  to  the  mother  of  Moses, 
'  Take  this  child,  and  nurse  it  for  me.'  Mothers  are 
generally  the  means  of  forming  the  character  of  their 
children,  and  often  of  their  children's  children,  for 
many  generations  ;  and  the  effects  of  their  pious  exam 
ple,  judicious  government,  and  salutary  instructions, 
are  not  confined  to  this  life,  but  will  run  on  through 
eternity.  As  often-  as  the  fond  mother  views  her 
smiling  babe,  or  clasps  it  in  her  arms,  so  often  should 
she  bear  it  in  the  arms  of  faith  and  prayer  to  the 
throne  of  divine  grace,  commending  it  to  the  mercy 
of  Him  who  made  it ;  beseeching  him  to  wash  it  from 
its  native  pollution,  create  it  anew  in  Christ  Jesus, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  95 

adopt  it  into  his  chosen  family,  and  train  it  up  for 
usefulness  in  this  world,  and  for  immortal  glory  in 
the  world  to  come. 

"That  little  one  now  in  your  arms  has  a  soul 
worth  more  than  a  thousand  worlds ;  having  begun 
an  existence  which  is  never  to  end,  after  continuing 
here  its  appointed  time,  and  forming  a  character 
which  shall  fit  it  for  happiness  or  misery,  it  will  burst 
from  its  little  prison,  and  like  an  angel  for  ever  rise 
higher  and  higher  in  a  world  of  light,  or  be  for  ever 
sinking  deeper  and  deeper  in  a  world  of  woe.  Al 
though  it  now  appears  innocent  and  lovely,  yet  it 
belongs  to  a  sinful  race  of  beings,  and  it  must  be  born 
again,  or  it  cannot  be  happy  here,  or  meet  the  smiles 
of  God  hereafter.  How  important  that  parents  should 
have  hearts  to  pray.  And  how  wonderful  the  love 
which  has  opened  a  way  in  which  parents  and  chil 
dren  may  be  adopted  into  the  chosen  family  of  Christ, 
and  through  riches  of  free  grace  be  prepared  to  meet 
each  other  in  the  world  of  glory,  to  part  no  more  for 
ever. 

"  That  this,  after  a  useful  and  happy  life,  may  be 
the  case  with  you  and  yours,  is  the  earnest  desire  and 
daily  prayer  of  your  affectionate  brother, 

«J.  EDWARDS." 

Under  another  date  he  says,  "To  the  little  girl 
whose  arm  I  once  hurt,  I  mean  to  write  a  letter  and 
send  a  little  book.  Her  name,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  I 
have  forgotten ;  but  you  will  not  think  it  strange,  when 
you  recollect  that  I  have  five  hundred  little  girls  and 
boys  to  think  of  here.  Perhaps,  however,  I  shall 
think  of  her  name  before  I  begin  to  write.  If  I  do 


96  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

not,  I  shall  call  her  tJie.dear  littk  girl;  for  I  love  her 
much,  and  hope  that  the  Lord  will  bless  her.  I  was 
pleased  to  hear  that  you  were  going  to  Plainfield, 
because  you  would  have  such  a  good  minister.  Fa 
ther  Hallock  is  one  of  the  excellent  of  the  earth. 
Give  my  love  to  him  and  Mrs.  Hallock,  to  dear 
brother  C.  and  all  friends." 

To  a  friend  who  had  written  him  in  reference  to 
some  impending  difficulty,  he  gave,  in  his  reply,  the 
following  maxims  of  peace : 

"  In  speaking  about  others,  never  say  any  thing 
but  what  you  are  willing  they  should  hear,  and  what 
if  they  should  hear  would  appear  to  be  'the  fruit  of 
love,  and  be  adapted  to  be  the  means  of  doing  good 
to  their  souls.  If  others  speak  against  us,  it  is  good 
to  imitate  Him  who, '  when  reviled,  reviled  not  again, 
but  committed  himself  to  him  that  judgeth  right 
eously  ;'  and  if  they  urge  us  to  come  down  and  meet 
them  in  disputation  in  some  one  of  the  villages  on 
the  plains  of  Ono,  to  say  in  actions  as  did  Nehemiah, 
1 1  am  doing  a  great  work,  and  cannot  come  down.' 
1  Out-preach  them,  out-pray  them,  and  out-live  them/ 
and  as  you  ought  to  wish  that  they,  under  a  change 
of  circumstances,  should  speak  of  you,  so  speak  you 
of  them.  '  If  any  man  offend  not  in  word,  the  same 
is  a  perfect  man,  and  able  also  to  bridle  the  whole 
body.'" 

Note  accompanying  the   presentation  of  Baxter's  Saints' 
Rest. 

"DEAR  E. — Perhaps  in  your  weak  and  feeble 
state  you  may  be  able  to  read  some.  This  book  was 
written  by  Mr.  Baxter  when  in  near  prospect  of 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVE.R.  97 

heaven,  and  it  has  hopefully  been  the  means  of  pre 
paring  many  for  that  blessed  abode.  You  now  have 
a  good  time  to  secure  your  salvation.  Be  careful 
diligently  to  improve  it. 

"That  you  may  feel  your  need  of  Jesus  Christ, 
give  him  your  heart,  and  devote  all  that  you  have  to 
his  service,  is  the  prayer  of  your  affectionate  pastor, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

"  P.  S.  Read  this  book  attentively,  and  pray  that 
God  will  bless  it  to  the  good  of  your  soul." 

When  this  work  was  distributed  to  every  family 
in  Andover,  from  the  proceeds  of  a  fund  left  by  Lieut.- 
Governor  Samuel  Phillips,  Dr.  Edwards  said  its  in 
fluence  was  like  that  of  a  gentle  revival  of  religion 
throughout  his  parish. 

A  sister  of  Mrs.  Edwards,  who,  at  the  age  of 
about  ten,  in  the  years  1818  and  1819,  was  an  in 
mate  of  Dr.  Edwards'  family,  has  kindly  communi 
cated  some  recollections  of  him,  which  fill  a  chasm 
in  our  narrative  that  otherwise  could  hardly  be  sup 
plied. 

"  It  was  in  1816,  in  the  days  of  my  childhood,  that 
I  first  saw  this  man  of  God,  and  learned  to  love  him. 
Though  he  was  not  at  that  time  much  accustomed  to 
amuse  or  interest  children,  and  the  movements  of  his 
giant  frame  were  not  the  most  graceful,  yet  I  soon 
felt  myself  strongly  attracted  towards  him,  and  I 
remember  finding  myself  more  than  once  seated  on 
his  knee,  supported  by  his  strong  arm,  and  listening 
with  delight  to  the  deep,  rich  tones  of  his  voice  as 
he  poured  forth  the  '  Pilgrim's  Farewell,'  and  '  Guide 
me,  0  thou  great  Jehovah,'  in  the  tune  of  Hotham. 


98  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

These  at  that  time  were  his  favorite  tunes,  and  they 
became  mine  also.  For  years  afterwards  he  often  in 
dulged  me  in  the  singing  of  them,  and  I  shall  never 
forget  the  peculiar  emphasis  with  which  he  rolled  out 
the  liries,  '  I  '11  take  my  staff  and  travel  on,  till  I  a 
better  world  can  view.'  I  remember  well  the  love 
and  veneration  with  which  I  then  regarded  him,  and 
in  the  many  days  and  weeks  and  years  which  I  have 
since  spent  in  the  bosom  of  his  family,  they  have  not 
been  diminished.  Always  kind,  open,  and  affable  in 
his  deportment,  he  was  ever  ready,  when  not  too  much 
engrossed  with  the  deep  workings  of  his  own  mind,  to 
attend  to  the  veriest  want  even  of  a  child,  and  the 
answer  he  would  give  to  each  childish  inquiry  would 
be  so  simple  and  plain  that  I  at  once  understood  its 
meaning. 

"  The  first  sermon  I  ever  remember  hearing  with 
any  interest  was  from  his  lips ;  and  the  reason  why  I 
felt  interested  at  that  early  age  was,  that  he  made 
every  part  of  it  so  simple  and  so  clear,  that  the  little 
child  could  not  fail  to  understand  it.  The  subject  was 
the  six  cities  of  refuge  to  which  the  manslayer  must 
flee  for  safety ;  and  so  plain  and  simple  did  he  make 
every  part  of  his  discourse,  and  so  impressive  was  his 
manner,  that  no  other  sermon  which  I  heard  in  early 
life  is  still  so  vividly  before  my  mind.  Beautiful 
simplicity  was  the  grand  characteristic  of  his  preach 
ing,  all  the  way  through  his  ministry ;  and  this,  com 
bined  with  the  purity  and  strength  of  his  elocution, 
together  with  the  peculiar  solemnity  of  his  manner, 
and  the  richness  of  Bible  truth  which  he  uttered, 
formed  the  great  attraction  of  his  sermons,  which, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  99 

when  he  was  in  the  prime  of  life,  were  considered  by 
most  of  his  hearers  as  remarkably  impressive. 

"  For  two  years  after  his  marriage,  at  an  age  when 
a  child  is  noticing  every  thing  that  occurs,  and  trifles 
make  an  impression,  I  was  a  constant  inmate  of  his 
family.  At  the  fireside,  at  the  social  board,  at  the 
hour  of  prayer,  at  the  parochial  visit,  everywhere, 
except  in  the  study,  I  was  daily  in  his  society,  and 
witnessed  the  meek  and  quiet  spirit,  the  consistent 
walk  and  conversation,  he  uniformly  exhibited.  In 
deed,  vivid  as  are  my  recollections  of  those  days,  as 
well  as  of  after-years,  when  his  children  were  growing 
up  around  him,  and  every  parent  has  much  to  perplex 
and  harass,  I  do  not  remember  ever  seeing  the  slight 
est  variation  of  temper.  Let  what  might  occur,  he  al 
ways  preserved  his  equanimity  and  remained  unruffled. 
'Let  patience  have  its  perfect  work/  was  his  motto 
for  himself,  and  he  often  recommended  it  to  others. 

"  In  his  parochial  visits  he  was  free  and  commu 
nicative,  inquiring  with  kindness  about  the  things 
most  likely  to  interest  those  whom  he  was  visiting, 
and  expressing  an  interest  in  all  that  concerned  them. 
His  conversation  on  religious  subjects  was  much  like 
his  preaching,  a  familiar  discussion  and  illustration 
of  the  subject,  rather  than  a  direct  and  personal  ad 
dress  to  those  that  heard  him ;  and  yet  it  had  so  much 
point,  that  it  could  not  fail  to  have  its  effect.  These 
visits  among  his  people  were  always  closed  with  read 
ing  the  Scriptures  and  prayer." 

The  joy  occasioned  by  the  election  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Edwards  on  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Theological 


100  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

Seminary  and  Academy,  September  28,  1820,  is  well 
remembered.  Such  was  the  influence  of  gentlemen 
of  high  standing  who  were  connections  of  the  early 
founders  of  the  academy,  that  it  was  feared  they 
would  succeed  in  perpetuating  in  the  Board  of  Trus 
tees  men  unfriendly  to  evangelical  truth.  The  late 
venerable  William  Phillips,  Lieutenant-governor  of 
Massachusetts,  a  man  of  great  integrity  and  single- 
hearted  piety,  in  the  consultations  of  the  board,  en 
treated  his  honored  relatives  even  with  tears,  that 
they  would  withdraw  their  opposition  to  the  election 
of  Dr.  Edwards,  and  let  the  seminary  be  what  its 
founders  designed,  a  distinctly  evangelical  institu 
tion  ;  and  when  the  result  of  the  election  was  an 
nounced  to  the  Hon.  William  Bartlet,  the  largest 
donor  to  the  seminary,  and  one  of  its  board  of  visit 
ors,  it  is  stated  that  he  also  wept  for  joy. 

To   Mrs.   Edwards. 

"PORTLAND,  Maine,  May  20, 1822. 

"MY  VERY  DEAR  WIFE — On  Thursday  we  [the 
late  Rev.  Dr.  Woods  and  himself]  dined  in  Exeter, 
arrived  in  Dover  before  night,  and  lodged  at  Dr. 
W.'s,  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Woods.  On  Friday  dined  in 
Kennebunk,  and  arrived  before  night  at  Saco,  distant 
from  Andover  about  eighty-five  miles,  and  Saturday 
morning  rode  to  Portland.  We  both  preached  all 
day  on  the  Sabbath,  and  Dr.  Woods  preached  in  the 
evening. 

"  This  forenoon  we  went  out  twenty  miles  to  sea 
with  Dr.  Payson  and  a  few  other  friends ;  then 
returned  and  dined  with  Dr.  Payson.  This  after 
noon  expect  to  take  tea  at  Mr.  C.'s,  the  father  of  one 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVE.R.  101 

of  our  Andover  students.  There  is  more  than  usual 
attention  to  religion  in  this  place,  and  there  are  a 
great  many  most  excellent  Christians. 

"  To-morrow  morning  we  expect  to  go  to  North 
Yarmouth.  We  hope  to  be  able  to  leave  there  on 
Thursday,  and  with  the  leave  of  Providence,  to  arrive 
in  Dover  on  Friday,  and  in  Andover  on  Saturday. 
God  has  been  very  kind  to  us,  and  our  journey  so 
far  has  been  pleasant,  and  I  trust  in  some  measure 
useful. 

"  I  hope  it  gives  me  some  comfort  to  commit  you 
and  the  dear  family  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  hope  that 
you  will  find  Him  to  be  a  very  present  helper  in  all 
times  of  need ;  that  He  will  grant  us  his  holy  pres 
ence,  use  us  as  instruments  of  doing  good,  provide 
for  us  all  needful  blessings  while  on  earth,  and  pre 
pare  us  with  all  his  redeemed  people  for  the  everlast 
ing  enjoyment  of  himself  in  glory. 

"  I  have  been  rather  unusually  interested  with  the 
first  nine  verses  of  the  Thirty-fourth  Psalm.  That 
we  and  all  our  friends,  with  the  whole  Israel  of  God, 
may  experience  the  blessedness  there  described,  is 
the  prayer  of 

"  Your  affectionate  husband, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

The  occasion  of  the  visit  described  in  the  above 
letter,  appears  to  have  been  a  call  to  sit  in  an  eccle 
siastical  council,  on  a  question  of  great  difficulty  and 
perplexity ;  and  though  such  occasions,  in  which  his 
counsel,  or  mediation,  was  sought  from  time  to  time, 
laid  heavy  claims  upon  his  heart,  his  sound  judgment, 
and  bodily  strength,  in  the  midst  of  his  other  pressing 


102  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

public  responsibilities,  few  men  had  such  qualifica 
tions  for  reaching  a  wise  and  harmonious  result, 
which  in  this  case  was  drawn  up  by  him,  and  is  pre 
served  on  file.  In  such  deliberations  he  was  calm 
and  peaceful,  as  if  the  presence  of  God  were  with  him. 
His  single  aim  was  evidently  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  best  interests  of  his  kingdom.  He  gave  the  ener 
gies  of  his  mind  to  the  subject,  but  said  little,  or  if  any 
thing,  only  words  of  love ;  and  when  the  whole  sub 
ject  was  understood,  he  often  showed  uncommon  dis 
cernment  and  singleness  of  purpose  in  suggesting  a 
course  by  which  the  great  interests  at  stake  might 
be  secured,  and  yet  in  which  the  parties  could  ac 
quiesce. 

In  the  progress  of  the  "New  England  Tract  So 
ciety" — which  in  1819  and  1820  received  a  vigorous 
impulse  from  a  year's  agency  of  the  late  Rev.  Louis 
D wight — the  management  of  its  concerns  fell  grad 
ually  into  the  hands  of  Dr.  Edwards  j  Mr.  Blan- 
chard  its  treasurer,  and  Messrs.  Flagg  and  Gould  its 
printers  and  business  agents,  being  all  members  of 
his  congregation.  From  1817  he  had  acted  on  its 
Executive  Committee,  and  in  1821  was  elected  Corre 
sponding  Secretary,  by  which  the  labor  and  responsi 
bility  of  superintending  the  press  and  directly  manag 
ing  its  concerns  were  officially  devolved  upon  him, 
though  he  was  still  fulfilling  all  his  arduous  duties  as 
pastor.  In  May,  1821,  he  wrote  the  able  and  soul- 
stirring  Seventh  Annual  Report  of  that  Society,  the 
spirit  of  which  appears  in  the  following  summary  of 
its  contents  in  the  closing  paragraphs : 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  103 

"If  two  of  our  tracts  have  been  connected  with 
the  hopeful  conversion  of  twelve  persons,  which  have 
come  to  our  knowledge,  what  may  we  not  hope,  with 
the  blessing  of  heaven,  from  the  four  hundred  thousand 
which  have  issued  from  our  depository  the  past  year  ; 
and  from  the  millions  which  have  issued  in  seven 
years ;  and  from  the  millions  and  millions  which  will 
continue  to  issue  to  all  future  generations  ? 

"  Who  can  contemplate  these  six  considerations  con 
nected  with  this  Society,  namely,  the  ease  and  effect 
with  which  it  may  speak  at  the  same  time  to  millions ; 
the  immense  call  for  tracts ;  the  great  amount  of  good 
which  may  be  done  by  small  means ;  the  ease  and 
effect  with  which  it  may  assist  all  other  benevolent 
societies ;  its  permanency,  its  adaptedness  with  pre 
sent  means  for  perpetual  operation ;  and  above  all, 
who  can  witness  the  approbation  of  God  which  it  has 
already  received ;  see  one  tract  instrumental  in  the 
hopeful  conversion  of  four  persons,  and  more  indi 
rectly  in  the  conversion  of  forty,  another  in  the  con 
version  of  eight,  another  of  twelve,  another  of  thir 
teen,  and  many  of  these  out  of  the  way  of  other  means 
of  grace — who  can  see  a  tract  put  in  operation  all  the 
Bible  Societies  in  Russia,  Sweden,  and  the  neighbor 
ing  countries,  and  not  expect,  when  he  stands  on 
mount  Zion,  to  see  the  multitude  which  no  man  can 
number,  vastly  augmented  through  the  instrumentality 
of  tracts  ? 

"And  who,  with  a  conviction  that  he  had  been 
instrumental  in  their  salvation,  would  not  join  with 
ineffable  delight  in  their  anthems  of  glory  'unto  Him 
that  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own 


104  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

blood,  and  liath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God 
and  Ms  Father ;  to  whom  be  glory  and  dominion  for 
ever  and  ever  ?' " 

In  June,  1821,  he  received  from  his  friend  Rev. 
Gordon  Hall,  at  Bombay,  the  well-known  eloquent 
appeal,  "The  Conversion  of  the  "World,  or  the 
Claims  of  Six  Hundred  Millions,"  which  was  then 
published  by  the  Tract  Society  as  No.  138  of  their 
series. 

Under  such  a  pressure  of  public  duty,  and  the 
impossibility  of  performing  the  superadded  labors 
involved  in  his  official  relations  to  the  Tract  Society, 
as  he  was  riding  on  horseback  to  visit  some  of  his 
people,  July  26,  1822,  he  called  at  the  room  of  the 
compiler  of  this  memoir,  who  was  near  the  close  of  his 
course  in  the  seminary  and  contemplating  labors  at 
the  "West,  and  said  in  substance,  "The  New  England 
Tract  Society  is  in  a  very  low  state,  and  we  think  we 
must  have  one  from  the  Senior  class  to  engage  for  a 
time  in  its  agency.  "We  have  been  looking  over  the 
class,  and  according  to  the  best  light  we  have,  we 
think  it  may  be  your  duty  to  labor  for  a  time  in  this 
department.  We  wish  you  would  think  of  it,  and 
hope  you  will  have  light  and  direction  from  above. 
My  duties  are  at  this  time  very  pressing.  Good- 
morning,  sir."  The  result  was  that  the  young  man 
thus  addressed,  the  day  after  closing  his  studies,  com 
menced  the  agency,  in  which  he  had  the  benefit  of 
Dr.  Edwards'  wise  and  disinterested  counsels  and 
affectionate  sympathy  for  two  and  a  half  years  in 
Andover ;  and  when,  in  1825,  the  Society  united  with 
other  societies  in  forming  the  American  Tract  Soci- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN   ANDOVER.  105 

ety  located  in  New  York,  of  which  he  was  elected 
Corresponding  Secretary,  the  kind  and  effective  co 
operation  of  Dr.  Edwards,  as  a  member  of  the  Pub 
lishing  Committee  of  the  national  Society,  and  in 
various  ways,  was  still  faithfully  continued  through 
out  the  further  period  of  twenty-eight  years,  till  God 
called  him -to  rest  from  his  earthly  labors. 

On  the  12th  of  June,  1822,  Dr.  Edwards  preached 
his  sermon  on  "  Christian  Communion"  at  the  installa 
tion,  in  Gorham,  Maine,  of  the  Rev.  Thaddeus  Pomeroy, 
his  class-mate  in  the  Theological  Seminary,  which  was 
published  in  three  editions  at  the  Andover  press, 
and  also  in  an  able  magazine  edited  by  a  man  of  kin 
dred  spirit,  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  H.  Rice,  of  Richmond, 
Virginia.  The  discourse  is  founded  on  the  words, 
"  Receive  ye  one  another,  as  Christ  also  received  us, 
to  the  glory  of  God,"  and  shows  that  "  the  communion 
of  all  real  Christians  is  an  object  dear  to  Christ.  He 
bore  it  upon  his  heart,  in  his  dying  prayer,  *  that  they 
all  may  be  one.7  To  open  the  way  for  this,  he  laid 
down  his  life.  To  accomplish  it,  he  now  intercedes 
in  heaven.  The  union  for  which  he  prayed,  is  a  union 
in  God,  the  only  real,  permanent  union  that  can  ever 
be  formed — a  union  of  souls  that  truly  receive  Christ, 
with  Christ — founded  on  no  merely  external  distinc 
tion  whatever  ;  but  they  receive  him  as  their  prophet 
to  teach  them  the  will  of  God,  their  priest  to  atone 
for  their  sins,  their  king  to  rule  in  their  hearts  and 
to  receive  their  choicest  affections  and  govern  their 
lives."  Ml  such  Christ  receives ;  and  they  are  bound 
by  the  divine  command,  and  the  most  sacred  and  in 
spiring  motives,  to  receive  one  another. 

5* 


106  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

In  the  autumn  of  1822,*  (or  more  probably  two 
years  later,)  a  man  partially  intoxicated,  passing 
through  Andover  on  a  wagon  loaded  with  apples,  fell 
under  its  wheels  within  a  few  rods  of  Dr.  Edwards' 
church,  and  was  crushed  to  death.  This,  and  another 
death  occasioned  by  intemperance,  led  to  his  preach 
ing  two  more,  powerful  sermons,  probably  from  the 
texts,  "The  way  of  transgressors  is  hard,"  and,  "At 
the  last  it  biteth  like  a  serpent,  and  stingeth  like 
an  adder ;"  showing,  as  he  did  in  1816,  the  woes  of 
the  intemperate,  and  the  duty  of  doing  all  in  our 
power  to  induce  the  temperate  to  abstain  from  the  use 
of  intoxicating  drinks,  that  when  the  existing  race  of 
the  intemperate  should  be  removed,  the  land  might  be 
free  from  the  curse  of  drunkenness.  We  were  not 
present  to  hear  these  sermons,  but  well  remember 
that  the  report  of  th^em  filled  the  region  around ;  and 
that  the  main  idea  was  seized  by  all,  and  passed  from 
mouth  to  mouth,  "  Keep  the  temperate  people  temper 
ate  ;  the  drunkards  will  soon  die,  and  the  land  be 
free;"  a  happy  illustration  of  the  power  God  had 
given  him,  to  seize  on  a  great,  simple,  practical  idea, 
that  all  could  understand  and  put  in  practice,  and 
which  yet  was  the  germ  of  an  all-pervading  moral 
influence  and  good  which  the  mind  of  man  cannot 
estimate. 

Early  in  1823,  it  appears  that  Dr.  Edwards,  learn 
ing  the  distinguished  usefulness  of  a  humble  and  aged 

*  This  date,  from  a  printed  paper,  may  be  an  error  of  the 
press.  The  death  here  described  is  recorded  as  occurring  Oct.  18, 
1824.  The  man.  was  seen  to  reel  as  he  passed,  seated  on  the 
tongue  of  his  wagon ;  and  as  he  descended  a  hill  near  the  residence 
of  the  late  Deacon  Poor,  he  fell  and  met  his  untimely  end. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  107 

pastor  at  Boscawen,  New  Hampshire,  who  had  trained 
many  youth  for  public  usefulness,  and  among  them  the 
late  Hon.  Daniel  Webster — whose  name  the  pastor  in 
his  modesty  does  not  mention — requested  of  him  some 
of  the  results  of  his  labors,  which  might  be  discreetly 
used  for  the  advancement  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 
The  questions  proposed  appear  in  the  pastor's  meek 
reply,  which  we  gladly  insert  as  a  testimony  to  the 
usefulness  of  many  ministers  of  Christ  who  serve  Him 
faithfully,  and  receive  a  glorious  reward,  though  far 
removed  from  the  pomp  and  splendor  of  this  world. 

"  BOSCAWEN,  Jan.  23, 1823. 

"Rsv.  AND  DEAR  SIR — I  received  yours  of  Jan. 
15th  but  yesterday.  On  reading,  I  found  some  ques 
tions  hard,  if  not  too  delicate,  for  me  to  answer: 
hard,  as  I  have  not  sufficient  guides  to  direct  me ; 
delicate,  as  pride  may  insensibly  tempt  me  to  exag 
gerate;  or  on  the  other  hand,  an  affected  humility 
may  lead  me  to  keep  some  things  back  which  the 
Lord  has  done  for  us.  But  if  I  can  gratify  and  en 
courage  a  Christian  brother  in  the  ministry,  and 
directly  or  indirectly  do  something  to  promote  the 
cause  of  religion  by  relating,  as  far  as  I  am  able, 
what  God  has  done  by  me  for  his  people,  I  ought  to 
suppress  my  own  feelings,  and  to  suggest  a  few  things 
in  reply  to  your  questions,  as  far  as  my  memory  shall 
serve,  with  what  helps  records  may  afford. 

"  Ques.  1.  '  How  many  scholars  have  you  fitted  for 
college?'  Perhaps  I  have  offered  to  college  or  fitted 
between  ninety  and  a  hundred,  of  whom  thirty-seven 
have  entered  upon  the  ministry,  and  some  others  are 
in  progress. 


108  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

"  Ques.  2.  '  How  many  of  them  became  hopefully 
pious  in  your  family?7  As  many  as  sixteen  or  more. 

"  Ques.  3.  '  How  many  of  those  who  became  hope 
fully  pious  in  your  family  have  entered  the  ministry  ?' 
Ten  at  least. 

"  Ques.  4.  '  How  many  have  made  a  profession  of 
religion  under  your  ministry,  and  about  how  many  * 
of  those  do  you  suppose  have  been  or  now  are  heads 
of  families?'  The  church  that  acted  in  my  ordination 
consisted  of  twenty  members  in  all,  male  and  female, 
all  of  whom  wer.e  heads  of  families,  and  now  all  but 
one  have  been  removed  by  death.  Since  my  settle 
ment,  about  four  hundred  and  thirty  have  been  added, 
and  I  should  suppose  that  three  hundred  of  those 
have  been  or  now  are  heads  of  families. 

"Ques.  5.  'About  how  many  souls  are  there  in 
your  congregation,  and  how  many  in  your  church?' 
My  congregation  contains  about  one  hundred  families, 
and  I  think  our  assemblies  are  from  two  to  four 
hundred  ;  the  regular  members  of  the  church  are  some 
short  of  three  hundred. 

"  Ques.  6.  '  About  how  much  is  done  in  your  so 
ciety  in  a  year  for  benevolent  objects?7  There  are 
various  societies,  ways,  and  means,  by  which  these 
objects  have  been  promoted,  and  no  annual  estimation 
has  been  made  that  has  come  to  my  knowledge,  ex 
cept  one  year,  when  it  amounted  to  about  five  hundred 
dollars.  More  has  been  done  some  years  than  others, 
perhaps  some  years  not  more  than  three  Jiundred. 

" Ques.  7.  'To  the  conversion  of  how  many  souls 
do  you  suppose  there  is  reason  to  hope,  that  with  the 
divine  blessing,  your  labors  have  been  instrumental ; 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVfitU 

and  how  many  of  those  have  been  members  of  your 
family  ?'  To  the  first  part  of  your  question  I  have  no 
direct  answer  prepared,  for  I  have  never  attempted 
to  make  any  such  estimate.  When  I  entered  on  the 
ministry,  I  reflected  with  myself,  that  if  I  should  labor 
all  my  days  and  be  instrumental  of  the  salvation  of 
one  soul,  that  would  be  more  than  an  ample  reward. 
But  now  more  than  forty-three  years  have  passed 
since  I  commenced  preaching,  and  I  may  say  that 
goodness  and  mercy  have  attended  me.  I  experienced 
one  special  season  of  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  before  I  came  to  this  town,  at  which  season 
twenty  or  thirty  were  hopeful  subjects,  and  a  respect 
able  church  was  established.  And  since  I  came  here 
I  have  been  favored  with  seven  or  eight ;  the  two  first 
and  two  last  were  very  powerful.  In  the  former 
part  of  my  ministry,  special  revivals  were  far  less 
frequent  than  in  later  years. 

"In  this  region,  when  I  entered  on  rny  ministry 
in  this  town,  the  state  of  religion  wore  a  very  gloomy 
aspect;  a  revival  of  religion  had  hardly  been  known. 
And  in  consequence  of  our  first  revival,  forty  years 
since,  I  was  abundantly  called  upon  to  labor  in  the 
neighboring  towns ;  and  as  the  doctrines  of  grace 
had  been  but  little  inculcated,  the  churches  were  in  a 
very  low  and  formal  state.  In  a  number  of  instances 
I  witnessed  a  revolution  in  sentiment,  and  a  revival 
of  the  spirit  of  religion,  which  the  work  that  the 
Lord  had  wrought  among  my  people  served  greatly 
to  strengthen  and  increase,  till  nearly  the  whole  vi 
cinity  became  revolutionized. 

"  But  in  answer  to  your  question,  what  shall  I  say  ? 


110  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

If  I  have  been  instrumental  of  good  to  one  soul,  to 
ten,  to  a  hundred,  or  to  a  thousand,  the  glory  is  all 
due  to  God  our  Saviour ;  to  him  be  the  praise.  A 
Paul  may  plant  and  an  Apollos  water,  but  God  only 
can  give  the  increase.  As  to  how  many  of  those  hope 
ful  subjects  of  grace  have  been  members  of  my  family, 
nearly  thirty  have  professed  a  hope  while  connected 
with  my  family,  and  a  number  of  others  have  received 
impressions,  and  obtained  a  hope  after  they  left. 

"  My  dear  brother,  the  work  of  the  ministry  ap 
pears  to  me  greater  and  greater  as  I  advance  in  life. 
When  I  look  back,  I  have  to  mourn  my  unfaithfulness 
before  Him  who  weighs  the  actions  of  men.  I  rely 
on  your  candor  in  the  freedom  which  I  have  used  in 
this  hasty  epistle.  That  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the 
great  Head  of  the  church,  may  direct  and  prosper  you 
in  your  labors  in  his  vineyard,  is  the  prayer  of  your 
friend  and  brother  in  the  faith  and  fellowship  of  the 

gospel, 

"SAMUEL  WOOD." 

In  the  silence  of  the  subject  of  our  narrative  as  to 
his  own  labors  and  usefulness  in  the  five  years  of  his 
pastoral  life  at  which  we  have  now  glanced,  we  grate 
fully  acknowledge  the  aid  of  another  sister  of  Mrs. 
Edwards,  in  kindly  sketching  reminiscences  of  events 
which  occurred  more  than  thirty  years  ago,  but  are 
still  fresh  as  yesterday,  and  some  of  which,  we  are 
sure,  will  lose  none  of  their  interest  when  suns  and 
systems  shall  have  perished. 

"  On  a  Sabbath  morning  when  I  was  about  four 
teen,"  she  says,  "  our  pastor  in  Colchester  introduced 
to  the  pulpit  a  stranger  whose  solemn  and  awakening 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  Ill 

sermon  produced  no  small  stir  among  the  people, 
with  many  inquiries  as  to  who  he  could  be,  and  why 
they  had  not  before  heard  of  him.  My  father,  who 
was  a  man  of  strong  and  decided  character,  and  op 
posed  to  the  doctrines  of  grace,  remarked,  that  as  his 
erect  athletic  figure  rose  before  the  audience,  and  he 
heard  his  deep-toned  impressive  voice,  he  wondered 
'  what  sort  of  a  preacher  we  had  got  now/  but  soon 
said  to  himself,  '  that  man  knows  what  he  is  about.7 
Little  did  he  imagine  that  this  stranger  was  to  be 
come  a  member  of  his  own  family,  to  exert  a  powerful 
influence  over  his  household,  and  reach  even  his  own 
mind,  which  had  already  so  yielded  itself  to  error, 
that  it  appeared  invulnerable  to  the  truth. 

"  The  impression  I  received  from  that  sermon  was 
abiding  as  eternity.  The  solemnity  of  his  manner 
when  for  the  first  time  my  eye  rested  upon  his  coun 
tenance,  the  expression  of  awe  and  reverence  with 
which  he  opened  the  Bible  and  cast  his  eye  around 
the  house,  as  if  to  say,  '  God  is  here/  I  shall  never  for 
get.  His  text  was,  '  If  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new 
creature.'  His  voice  was  powerful  and  commanding, 
and  every  eye  was  fastened  upon  him.  That  sermon 
opened  my  eyes  to  the  nature  of  the  new  birth.  It 
was  evident  that  the  speaker  knew  by  experience 
what  it  was.  I  saw  that  it  was  to  give  God  the 
supreme  place  in  the  heart,  and  to  do  every  thing 
with  reference  to  pleasing  him.  There  was  a  rever 
ence,  solemnity,  humility,  and  majesty,  such  as  I  had 
never  observed  in  any  preacher.  He  seemed  to  me 
to  have  seen  God  as  Isaiah  saw  him  in  the  temple, 
'on  a  throne  high  and  lifted  up/  and  to  bow  down 


112  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

like  Job  in  the  dust  before  his  awful  presence.  Yet, 
as  I  afterwards  discovered,  it  was  God  in  Christ  that 
he  knew.  There  was  no  gloom,  no  terror,  but  the 
most  simple  confidence,  mingled  with  the  profoundest 
reverence. 

"  When  Mr.  Edwards  became  a  visitor  in  our  fam 
ily,  he  seldom  addressed  me  directly  on  the  subject  of 
personal  religion  ;  and  yet  he  inspired  me  with  deeper 
convictions  of  my  own  ungodliness  and  selfishness,  and 
of  the  vanity  of  all  worldly  pursuits,  than  any  other 
man.  I  give  one  incident  by  way  of  example.  At 
sixteen  years  of 'age,  returning  from  my  boarding- 
school  with  an  Album,  I  waited  with  much  interest 
for  an  expected  visit  from  him,  to  request  of  him  a 
contribution  to  its  pages.  Instead  of  meeting  the 
wishes  of  a  worldly  young  girl,  he  wrote  a  familiar 
verse  of  a  hymn.  I  was  at  first  almost  disposed  to 
resent  it,  and  wished  to  tear  it  out.  But  I  read  it 
and  reread  it.  Every  time  I  took  up  the  book,  that 
verse  seemed  to  stand  out  more  prominent  than  any 
thing  else  in  it— 

" '  God  is  my  all-sufficient  good, 

My  portion,  and  my  choice ; 

In  Him  my  vast  desires  are  filled, 

And  all  my  powers  rejoice.' 

"  It  had  the  effect  upon  me  that  he  intended  j  to 
reprove  me  for  giving  my  mind  and  heart  to  the 
vanities  of  this  world.  It  concentrated  in  a  few 
words  what  every  thing  else  he  had  done  and  said 
had  before  signified  to  my  conscience.  I  saw  that 
always  and  everywhere  he  was  supremely  desirous  to 
turn  my  heart  from  the  world  to  God.  I  pondered 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  113 

the  stanza,  displeased,  yet  impressed.  The  first  line 
told  me  the  secret  of  his  piety.  I  saw  myself  in  con 
trast  with  him,  and  he  was  my  human  model.  For 
two  years  I  had  earnestly  studied  his  character,  and 
now  I  endeavored  to  put  it  to  a  practical  use.  I  saw 
that  he  sat  down  before  the  word  of  God  to  be  taught 
his  will,  that  he  might  do  it ;  that  he  resorted  thither 
for  instruction  and  guidance  in  every  thing ;  and  that 
its  truths  were  incorporated  into  his  very  being. 

"  When  he  heard  that  I  was  hopefully  converted,  he 
wrote  me  an  instructive  and  affecting  letter.  It  was 
the  first  I  had  ever  received  from  him ;  and  I  had  no 
doubt  what  was  the  nature  of  its  contents.  I  took  it 
into  the  attic  to  read  it  alone  and  with' prayer.  This 
letter  was  burned  up  with  the  house  of  my  father 
more  than  twenty  years  ago,  but  I  well  recollect  the 

first  sentence  in  it :  '  And  has  God,  my  dear  E , 

given  you  a  heart  to  love  Him?  If  so,  he  has  done 
more  for  you  than  if  he  had  bestowed  upon  you  all 
the  wealth  of  this  world.7  Every  word  I  esteemed  as 
very  precious.  The  power  of  his  example  made  it  so. 
I  burst  into  tears  on  reading  this  sentence,  and  after 
reading  the  remainder,  continued  on  my  knees  weep 
ing,  and  praying  that  I  might  be  enabled  to  follow 
the  instructions  it  contained,  and  this  reading  of  it 
was  for  some  time  repeated  daily  in  the  same  way 
and  the  same  place. 

"At  the  time  of  Mr.  Edwards'  early  visits  at  my 
father's,  our  household  consisted  of  fifteen  or  twenty 
persons.  My  parents  had  nine  children,  all  making 
their  home  with  them.  The  other  persons  were  house- 
servants,  and  laborers  on  the  farm.  The  colored 


114  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

servant-woman  we  called  Amy.  She  was  a  slave, 
purchased  by  my  father  before  the  emancipation  act, 
but  so  old  that  this  act  did  not  reach  her.  There 
was  also  in  the  family  a  man-servant  named  Thell, 
an  Irishman  of  very  limited  mental  Capacity.  We 
could  not  teach  him  to  read,  and  he  could  retain 
scarcely  any  portions  of  the  Bible.  Several  of  the 
other  laborers  had  been  taken  young,  and  trained  by 
my  father  on  the  farm,  and  so  were  permanent  mem 
bers  of  the  family.  This  was  the  circle  to  which  Mr. 
Edwards  was  introduced  on  his  first  coming  to  our 
house,  and  on  which  he  was  to  exert  a  great  and  ben 
eficial  influence.  He  was  a  man  of  few  words,  but 
of  gentle  and  kind  manners.  On  entering  the  house 
at  first,  and  ever  afterwards,  he  noticed  and  addressed 
every  one,  taking  especial  care  not  to  overlook  Amy 
and  Thell.  Nor  was  his  kindness  lost  upon  them. 
This  stupid  man  would  watch  every  opportunity  to 
render  a  service  to  Mr.  Edwards,  in  return  for  his 
kind  manner.  His  remark  was,  'I  would  do  any 
thing  for  Mr.  Edwards ;  he  is  the  politest  man  I  ever 
knew.'  Gentleness,  kindness,  and  courtesy  marked 
his  intercourse  with  all  the  members  of  our  family. 

"  In  reviewing  his  whole  connection  with  us,  God's 
faithfulness  in  fulfilling  the  desire  of  them  that  fear 
him  is  manifest.  It  must  be  regarded  as  a  striking 
instance  of  answer  to  prayer.  Our  mother  was  de 
scended  from  a  very  godly  ancestry.  *  Her  grandpar 
ents  had  left  their  home  and  all  their  possessions  on 
account  of  the  great  profligacy  and  wickedness  pre 
vailing  around  them,  and  had  settled  in  Colchester 
when  it  was  a  wilderness,  for  the  sake  of  enjoying 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  115 

unmolested  their  religious  sentiments,  and  training 
up  their  children  in  the  fear  of  God.  My  mother 
believed  that  she  was  converted  when  about  six  years 
old.  My  earliest  recollections  are  of  her  faithfulness 
in  inculcating  religious  truth,  and  other  endeavors 
for  the  spiritual  good  of  her  household.  For  a  long 
series  of  years,  she  bore  the  burden  of  their  souls'  wel 
fare  on  her  heart  alone,  feeling  that  she  was  the  only 
one  of  this  large  household  who  sought  communion 
with  God.  At  the  time  of  Mr.  Edwards'  introduc 
tion  to  the  family,  two  only  of  her  children  had  been 
given  her  in  answer  to  her  prayers.  Long  had  she 
wrestled  with  God  in  secret  for  the  conversion  of  my 
father,  being  much  afflicted  by  his  opposition  to  true 
piety,  but  yet  sweetly  and  patiently  waiting  upon  the 
Lord,  trusting  in  that  word  of  promise  in  which  he 
had  led  her  to  hope.  Our  house  was  always  open  to 
visitors,  and  clergymen  were  so  often  entertained 
there,  that  it  came  to  be  called  the  'ministers'  home.' 
But  although  ministers  were  always  most  hospitably 
welcomed  by  my  father,  yet  no  one  of  them  ever  ad 
dressed  him  on  the  subject  of  personal  religion  ;  nor 
did  my  mother  ever  venture  to  pray  in  his  presence, 
or  often  speak  to  him  on  the  subject.  But  here  was 
a  young  man  who  at  once  commanded  his  respect, 
and  brought  to  his  view  a  specimen  of  elevated  piety, 
combined  with  courtesy  and  good  sense.  Whenever 
he  knew  that  Mr.  Edwards  was  coming,  he  arranged 
his  business  so  as  to  be  at  home  ;  and  during  his  stay 
with  *us,  the  whole  family  would  be  daily  assembled 
to  have  him  lead  us  in  worship. 

"  I  love  to  recall  that  large  family  group,  as  they 


116  REV.    JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

were  seated  on  these  occasions  in  the  long  family- 
room,  which  was  almost  large  enough  for  a  chapel. 
We  often  wished  it  might  be  used  as  such,  for  it 
would  have  accommodated  all  the  neighbors,  and  we 
lived  four  miles  from  any  church  ;  but  no  other  relig 
ious  meetings  were  ever  allowed  in  the  house  by  my 
father.  This  rendered  these  seasons  peculiarly  inter 
esting  to  the  pious  members  of  the  household.  Mr. 
Edwards  would  be  seated  at  one  end  of  the  room,  my 
father  beside  him  in  his  arm-chair  in  the  attitude  of 
an  attentive  listener ;  my  mother  next  him,  in  her 
easy-chair,  with  such  a  look  of  delight  and  gratitude 
as  could  not  be  mistaken.  Then  came  the  children, 
ranging  from  the  man  of  thirty-five,  down  to  the  child 
of  ten  years ;  then  the  blacksmith,  the  cooper,  and 
perhaps  a  shoemaker,  with  the  other  laboring  men, 
and  boys  and  servants.  Mr.  Edwards  would  take 
the  large  family  Bible,  which  had  been  in  use  nearly 
forty  years,  and  open  it  with  an  impressive  manner, 
which  seemed  to  say,  now  God  is  about  to  speak,  and 
we  must  listen  ;  then  closing  his  eyes  with  great 
humility  and  simplicity,  he  would  ask  the  aid  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  reading  it.  When  reading,  he  would 
pause  on  passages  that  might  not  be  understood,  and 
explain  them  to  the  comprehension  of  the  most  unlet 
tered  of  the  company.  It  was  evident  to  all,  that  he 
came  to  the  Scriptures  as  a  learner  to  be  taught ;  and 
what  he  might  know  more  than  others,  he  wished  to 
communicate  for  their  benefit. 

"  One  winter,  my  father  having  more  than  usual 
leisure,  had  taken  up  and  read  several  authors  on  his 
favorite  subjects  in  theology.  They  confirmed  him 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  117 

in  his  erroneous  views,  professing  as  they  did  to 
prove  all  their  teachings  by  the  Scriptures.  The 
time  was  approaching  for  Mr.  Edwards'  visit  at  the 
mansion ;  and  the  books  were  read  and  carefully 
laid  up,  to  await  his  visit.  'Now  I  intend/  said  my 
father,  '  to  have  a  thorough  talk  with  Mr.  Edwards, 
and  I  shall  ask  him  to  examine  these  volumes  thor 
oughly.  I  'm  sure  he  will  not  object  to  give  the  time 
to  it,  and  I  do  not  believe  he  will  be  able  to  answer 
these  powerful  arguments.'  His  interest  increased  as 
the  time  drew  near,  and  upon  Mr.  Edwards'  arrival, 
my  father  could  scarcely  wait  for  the  usual  saluta 
tions,  before  saying,  *  I  wish,  Mr.  Edwards,  that  you 
would  take  these  volumes  and  look  them  over  care 
fully,  and  tell  me,  if  you  can,  why  I  should  not  believe 
as  they  teach.'  Their  principal  and  favorite  doctrine 
was  that  of  universal  salvation.  My  father's  manner 
of  proposing  the  subject  convinced  Mr.  Edwards  that 
the  request  was  very  serious,  and  he  evidently  felt 
himself  urgently  called  to  devote  time  and  thought  to 
the  subject.  He  replied  that  he  would  do  so.  The 
next  morning  he  requested  to  have  a  fire  in  a  room 
by  himself.  He  took  the  Bible,  with  the  books  in 
question,  and  spent  the  whole  day  alone;  probably 
much  of  it  in  prayer.  After  tea,  he  informed  my 
father  that  he  was  ready.  They  sat  down,  surrounded 
by  such  of  the  family  as  felt  interested  in  the  discus 
sion. 

"His  manner  in  answering  all  my  father's  ques 
tions  and  arguments  was  kind,  respectful,  and  amiable. 
He  did  not  aim  to  show  any  superior  learning  or 
power,  and  thus  to  confound  him ;  but  in  the  most 


118  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

patient  manner  listened  to  every  thing  he  had  to  say. 
He  then  showed  him  the  fallacies  of  his  favorite 
authors,  their  misuse  of  Scripture  in  proving  their 
doctrines ;  and  at  the  same  time  quoted  passage  after 
passage  to  prove  the  contrary.  He  closed  by  stating 
facts  from  his  own  experience  at  the  death-beds  of 
those  who  had  professed  to  hold  these  sentiments, 
none  of  which  had  been  peaceful  and  happy.  He 
then  contrasted  the  life,  character,  and  general  influ 
ence  of  this  class  of  men  with  that  of  those  who  had 
yielded  their  hearts  implicitly  to  the  guidance  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  reading  the  Bible.  With  what  interest 
the  discussion  was  listened  to  by  those  members  of 
the  family  who,  in  concert  with  others,  had  for  many 
years  been  praying  that  his  eyes  might  be  opened, 
and  his  heart  prepared  for  the  reception  of  the  truth, 
you  can  well  imagine.  His  countenance  and  manner 
gradually  changed,  as  Mr.  Edwards  proceeded  to  un 
dermine  his  confidence,  and  as  he  was  obliged  to  yield 
one  point  after  another,  until  the  whole  fabric  upon 
which  his  hopes  had  been  built  for  eternity,  was 
shaken  to  its  foundation.  As  he  leaned  upon  the 
arms  of  his  chair,  his  whole  frame  was  agitated,  and 
he  sat  in  perfect  silence,  and  listened  to  an  earnest 
and  affectionate  appeal  to  make  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
his  refuge  and  trust.  In  the  most  solemn  manner  our 
friend  assured  him  that  none  other  would  be  sufficient 
for  him  in  life,  in  death,  and  the  judgment  j  that  all 
other  dependences  would,  at  the  last,  prove  refuges  of 
lies,  and  be  swept  away  like  the  spider's  web. 

"After  this   the  books   were  returned   to   their 
owner.    Those  gentlemen  of  my  father's  acquaintance 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  119 

who  professed  these  doctrines,  and  who  had  been  ac 
customed,  much  to  the  grief  of  my  mother,  to  visit  the 
house  and  continually  converse  upon  them,  came  no 
more.  Never,  after  this  interview  to  the  day  of  his 
death,  do  I  recollect  hearing  my  father  allude  to 
these  doctrines  in  any  way.  He  read  his  Bible  more, 
and  with  deep  attention.  He  was  changed  in  many 
respects ;  whether  he  was  savingly  converted  is  not 
for  us  to  say,  but  no  such  effect  was  produced  on  him 
by  any  other  means.  No  act  of  Mr.  Edwards'  life 
endeared  him  to  us  so  much  as  this.  We  remembered 
it  with  gratitude  to  God,  as  we  looked  for  the  last 
time  upon  the  lifeless  remains  of  one  of  the  kindest  of 
fathers,  whose  death  was  instantaneous. 

"I  always  recur  with  interest  to  a  residence  of  six 
months  in  Dr.  Edwards'  family  in  the  year  1821,  dur 
ing  which  time  I  had  ample  opportunity  to  become 
acquainted  with  him  as  a  Christian  and  a  minister. 
I  had  not  been  long  in  his  family  before  I  began  to 
desire  that  the  work  of  grace  should  become  more 
deep  and  thorough  in  my  own  heart.  His  preaching 
created  in  me  a  taste  for  such  works  as  Bellamy's, 
Baxter's,  Edwards',  and  Chalmers'.  It  led  me  to  read 
the  Scriptures  with  more  diligence,  and  with  earnest 
prayer  for  the  teachings  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It 
brought  Christ  to  my  view  as  I  had  never  previously 
conceived  of  him,  and  inspired  me  with  strong  desires 
not  only  to  know  and  to  love  him  better,  but  to  be 
more  like  him.  Mr.  Edwards  appeared  to  me  to  have 
been  favored  with  unusual  views  of  the  preciousness 
of  the  Saviour.  I  inferred  this,  not  merely  from  the 
tenor  of  his  preaching,  but  of  his  life  from  day  to 


120  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

day,  and  his  prayers  both  in  public  and  in  his  family. 
The  latter  were  always  short,  comprehending  much  in 
a  few  words.  It  was  a  favorite  petition,  'that  the 
light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  might 
shine  into  our  hearts  as  it  shines  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ.'  His  whole  life,  as  I  saw  it  in  the  family  and 
elsewhere,  led  me  to  believe  that  this  constant  desire 
of  his  heart  was  granted  him.  Just  before  I  left 
Andover,  Mrs.  Edwards  told  me  one  day,  confiden 
tially,  that  Mr.  Edwards  had  lain  awake  the  last  part 
of  the  preceding  night.  She  said  that  she  spoke  to 
him,  but  he  did  not  incline  to  converse,  and  on  rising 
in  the  morning,  he  remarked  to  her  that  he  had 
enjoyed  during  the  last  few  hours  some  very  pre 
cious  views  of  the  Saviour.  I  do  not  recollect  the 
words,  but  he  described  them  as  such  as  to  fill  his 
soul  with  inexpressible  delight.  This  was  the  only 
time  that  I  ever  knew  of  his  speaking  of  his  own  relig 
ious  exercises  to  any  one.  He  mver  talked  about 
himself;  but  as  I  once  heard  him  preach  from  the 
text,  'I  shall  be  satisfied,  when  I  awake,  with  thy 
likeness/  I  felt  sure  that  he  drew  from  his  own  rich 
experiences  of  the  presence  and  power  of  Christ. 

"  In  this  visit  I  became  acquainted  with  his  pas 
toral  character.  He  seemed  to  know  every  one  of 
his  large  flock,  not  only  by  name,  but  their  past  his 
tory  and  present  condition.  I  often  rode  with  him  to 
different  parts  of  his  extensive  parish  when  he  went 
to  preach  his  weekly  lectures.  It  was  very  common 
for  him  when  we  passed  a  house  to  give  me  the  name 
of  the  family  residing  in  it,  and  its  history  for  several 
generations.  He  was  peculiarly  fond  of  tracing  the 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  121 

dealings  of  Providence  with  individuals  and  families. 
Pastoral  visitation  was  attended  to  by  him  most  faith 
fully.  In  his  visits  in  the  latter  part  of  the  day,  he 
usually  took  tea  with  the  family.  This  enabled  him 
generally  to  see  and  speak  with  them  all.  After  tea, 
he  always  proposed  to  pray  with  the  family  before 
leaving.  If  all  the  members  were  not  present,,  the 
absent  ones  were  called.  The  Bible  was  brought  and 
placed  before  him.  He  would  say,  '  We  will  unite  in 
singing  a  hymn.7  He  would  repeat  the  first  line  of 
one  familiar  to  himself,  and  if  it  was  not  familiar  to 
the  family,  he  would  continue  to  repeat  two  lines  at 
a  time.  His  favorite  hymns  for  such  occasions  were, 

" '  Guide  me,  0  thou  great  Jehovah.' 
'  Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul.' 
'  Lord,  thou  wilt  hear  me  when  I  pray.' 
'  While  thee  I  seek,  protecting  power,'  etc. 

After  this  he  would  open  the  Bible,  close  his  eyes  and 
audibly  ask  the  teachings  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  accom 
pany  the  reading  of  it.  Sometimes  he  would  explain 
the  passage  or  make  other  pertinent  remarks.  It  was 
so  evident  that  he  yielded  his  own  understanding  im 
plicitly  to  the  teachings  he  sought,  that  when  he  ex 
plained  a  verse  the  conviction  was  deeply  felt  that  he 
had  expressed  the  very  mind  of  God.  '  Open  thou 
mine  eyes,  that  I  may  behold  wondrous  things  out  of 
thy  law/  was  constantly  on  his  lips.  How  often 
would  he  say,  '  We  should  always  listen  to  the  Bible 
as  to  God  speaking  to  us  :  be  still — listen  when  God 
speaks.'  '  Some  complain  that  they  do  not  feel 
enough.  If  they  want  feeling,  this  is  the  way  to  -get 
it.  Go  away  alone  with  the  Bible  and  let  God  speak 


122  B.EV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

to  you,  and  always  that  you  may  obey  him ;  learn  his 
will,  that  you  may  do  it.' 

"During  this  winter  he  had  familiar  conferences 
for  the  families  in  his  own  neighborhood.  They  met 
at  different  houses,  as  if  for  a  visit.  He  would  some 
times  commence  them  with  reading  a  hymn,  and  ex 
pressing  the  thoughts  it  suggested.  Once  he  took  the 
119th  Psalm,  9th  part,  by  Watts.  The  Psalmist,  he 
said,  seemed  suddenly  to  awake  to  a  sense  of  God's 
goodness,  and  he  exclaims, 

" '  Thy  mercies  fill  the  earth,  0  Lord !' 
Then  he  sees  his  goodness  in  his  works, 
" '  How  good  thy  works  appear ;' 

and  quickly  his  word  comes  to  mind,  and  this  calls 
forth  a  prayer,  '  Open  mine  eyes ' — not  because  he  was 
physically  blind,  but  his  understanding  was  darkened 
by  sin — 

" '  Open  mine  eyes  to  read  thy  word, 
And  see  thy  wonders  there.' 

Then  he  looks  at  himself,  and  is  reminded  of  God  and 
acknowledges  him  as  the  author  of  his  frame  : 

" '  My  heart  was  fashioned  by  thy  hand  ;' 

and  what  inference  does  he  draw  from  this?  Why, 
the  most  natural  in  the  world, 

"'My  service  is  thy  due.' 

Who  else  can  have  such  claims  to  it?  Then  follows 
another  prayer,  because  he  feels  his  dependence  even 
to  think  a  good  thought : 

" '  0  make  thy  servant  understand 
The  duties  he  must  do.' 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  123 

Then, 

" '  Since  I  'm  a  stranger  here  below, 
Let  not  thy  path  be  hid.' 

Here  he  described  a  man  wandering  in  a  wilderness 
without  guide  or  compass,  when  one  competent  to  lead 
him  safely  through  appears,  and  offers  to  become  his 
guide.  Such  an  one  the  Psalmist  found ;  he  trusted 
him,  yielded  himself  to  him,  and  he  prays, 

" '  Mark  the  road  my  feet  should  go, 
And  be  my  constant  guide. ' 

'  God  is  in  his  word ;  it  is  a  light,  a  lamp  to  our  feet/ 
etc.  Thus  he  went  through  the  whole  of  the  eight 
verses  of  that  Psalm.  I  remember  with  what  interest 
and  delight  those  families  would  listen  to  these  famil 
iar  instructions,  and  hope  I  have  not  yet  lost  their 
influence.  His  aim  seemed  to  be  not  merely  to  bring 
truth  before  the  mind,  but  to  help  his  people  to  digest 
it,  to  revolve  it  over  and  over  until  it  became  a  part 
of  themselves,  and  they  were  transformed  by  it. 

"I  well  remember  the  visits  the  pious,  praying 
women  used  to  make  at  his  house  with  their  knitting- 
work.  Some  of  the  time  would  be  spent  by  them  in 
prayer ;  and  he  would  always  come  into  the  parlor, 
either  before  or  after  tea,  and  give  them  an  oppor 
tunity  for  some  conversation  with  him.  This  would 
often  be  introduced  by  questions  from  them  on  some 
point  of  practical  religion,  or  about  some  passage  of 
Scripture.  Such  visits  from  his  people  were  always 
closed  by  singing  a  hymn,  reading  the  Scriptures,  and 
prayer. 

"  When  individuals  came  to  ask  his  counsel,  or  to 
state  difficulties  in  their  religious  experience,  I  never 


124  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

knew  him  appear  to  consider  it  an  intrusion,  or  wish 
them  to  leave,  but  he  gave  himself  up  to  do  them 
all  the  good  he  could.  I  think  it  was  his  intimate 
acquaintance  with  his  people  that  gave  to  his  preach 
ing  such  weight.  He  knew  what  they  needed,  and  it 
was  evident  that  he  aimed  to  meet  their  necessities, 
and  feed  them  with  the  bread  of  life. 

"  I  shall  never  forget  a  series  of  familiar  lectures 
he  delivered  on  the  119th  Psalm.  The  effect  was  to 
make  me  feel  that  there  were  treasures  in  the  Bible 
which  I  had  not  yet  found,  and  to  make  me  resolve 
that  I  would  never  give  over  till  I  could  say  with  the 
Psalmist,  that  I  had  found  them  '  sweeter  than  honey 
and  the  honey-comb.' 

"  There  were  uncommon  Bible  readers  under  his 
ministry.  The  Bible  was  the  great  book.  Some  of 
the  aged  women  might  answer  well  to  the  description 
of  Anna,  so  familiar  were  they  with  its  pages,  and  so 
constant  at  the  place  of  prayer. 

"It- was  not  merely  Mr.  Edwards'  sermons  which 
attracted  his  people  in  such  numbers  to  the  sanctuary 
Sabbath  after  Sabbath,  and  led  them  to  sit  there  with 
profit  and  delight.  The  aged  people  being  unusually 
numerous,  many  of  them  were  seated  according  to  an 
old  custom  just  in  front  of  the  pulpit.  Their  punctu 
ality  was  very  noticeable,  as  if  they  were  glad  when 
it  was  said  unto  them, '  Let  us  go  into  the  house  of  the 
Lord.'  Order  and  stillness  were  observable  both  in 
and  about  the  house.  The  people  were  early  in  their 
places.  His  very  manner  when  he  entered  the  sanc 
tuary,  seemed  to  indicate  that  he  had  come  there  com 
muning  with  God.  He  seemed  never  to  forget  the 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  126 

directions,  '  Be  not  rash  with  thy  mouth,  and  let  not 
thy  heart  be  hasty  to  utter  any  thing  before  God ; 
for  God  is  in  heaven,  and  thou  upon  earth :  therefore 
let  thy  words  be  few/  While  he  was  a  pastor,  he 
gave  himself  eminently  to  a  pastor's  work.  He  made 
it  his  study  how  he  could  do  his  people  the  most  good, 
and  best  fit  them  for  heaven.  He  did  indeed  take  a 
deep  interest  in  the  objects  of  the  Tract  and  Foreign 
Mission  Societies,  and  his  labors  for  them  at  this  time 
were  abundant ;  but  he  allowed  nothing  to  interfere 
with  his  duty  to  the  souls  for  whom  he  was  thus  per 
sonally  responsible.  His  addresses  before  missionary 
meetings  were  not  usually  written,  but  flowed  sponta 
neously  from  his  heart.  In  a  few  moments,  he  would 
often  present  some  grand  and  sublime  view,  that  would 
deeply  affect  and  elevate  the  audience.  His  compre 
hensive  mind  seemed  to  embrace  the  present  world 
and  the  coming  eternity.  He  believed  that  this  earth 
belongs  to  Christ,  and  that  he  is  to  possess  it;  and 
the  glory  of  the  Saviour  in  the  success  of  his  gospel, 
seemed  to  be  the  great  inspiring  motive  which  led 
him  to  spend  and  be  spent  in  laboring  to  bring  the 
world  into  subjection  to  him. 

"  Surely  never  had  a  pastor  more  constant  and 
unremitted  proof  of  the  confidence  and  affection  of  his 
people.  When  he  married,  it  was  enough  that  they 
received  among  them  the  companion  of  his  choice ; 
and  there  was  no  scene  of  which  my  father  seemed  to 
take  more  delight  in  speaking,  in  the  latter  years  of 
his  life,  than  that  of  the  cordiality  and  kindness  with 
which  a  great  company  assembled  to  welcome  to  her 
new  home  one  who  was  to  share  the  pastor's  sorrows 


126  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

and  joys ;  and  their  love  and  esteem  were  neither 
withheld  nor  diminished.  Of  the  mothers  in  Israel, 
whose  sympathy  in  sickness  or  trials  was  ever  mani 
fested,  I  well  remember  one.  Her  deeply  furrowed 
cheek  and  withered  hand  seemed  to  indicate  that  she 
had  already  served  her  appointed  time,  but  she  lived 
many  years  a  comfort  and  support  to  her  pastor  by 
her  fervent  prayers  and  unwearied  devotion  to  him 
self  and  his  family.  It  is  sad  to  think  that  such 
relations  of  a  pastor  and  his  flock  must  be  sundered, 
and  joyful  to  think  that  after  the  earthly  tie  that 
binds  them  is  broken,  there  is  one  above  that  shall 
endure." 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  127 


CHAPTER  IV. 

HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER  — CONTINUED. 

BIBLE  VIEWS  OF  THE  MINISTRY  AND  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST. 
1823,    1824. 

ON  the  12th  of  February,  1823,  he  preached  in 
Boston  his  published  sermon,  "I  am  doing  a  great 
work,  so  that  I  cannot  come  down,"  before  the  Young 
Men's  Education  Society.  Nehemiah  was  building  an 
earthly  city ;  but  these  young  men  are  raising  up  in 
struments  to  build  the  city  of  the  Redeemed  in  heaven. 
"  Their  object  is  to  increase  the  number  of  pious,  able, 
and  faithful  ministers  of  the  gospel,  who  shall  spend 
their  days  in  preaching  the  unsearchable  riches  of 
Christ  to  their  fellow-men — ministers  who  in  temper 
and  conduct  shall  resemble  Paul,  and  all  who  in  every 
generation  have  followed  his  example;  who  have 
themselves  been  born  of  the  Spirit ;  who  glory  in  the 
cross,  and  by  it  are  crucified  to  the  world,  and  the 
world  crucified  to  them ;  who  determine  not  to  know 
any  thing  among  their  hearers,  save  Jesus  Christ,  and 
him  crucified ;  and  who  count  all  things  but  loss  for 
the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Jesus — ministers 
who  will  be  able  to  teach  others  with  the  same  teach 
ing  which  they  receive  from  God ;  who  will  not  shun 
to  declare  all  his  counsel ;  will  keep  the  faith ;  not 
count  even  life  dear  unto  them ;  and,  as  the  Lord 


128  EEV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D, 

shall  open  the  way,  will  go  forth  '  into  all  the  world, 
and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature.' ;7 

He  proceeds  to  show  that  "  the  labors  of  such  min 
isters  are  the  grand  means  which  God  has  appointed 
for  the  salvation  of  men  ;77  that  "  of  these  means  a 
vast  portion  of  men  are  destitute  f  and  that  "  by 
these  means  God  accomplishes  great  ends.77  Men  are 
in  a  state  of  apostasy,  sin,  and  ruin.  They  need  sal 
vation.  A  great  salvation  has  been  provided  in 
Christ ;  and  the  preaching  of  his  gospel  is  the  grand 
means  of  turning  them  from  sin  to  God. 

"What  nation,  or  body  of  men,  have  ever  been  led 
to  turn  from  idolatry  to  the  service  of  the  living  God, 
without  the  preaching  of  the  gospel?  What  church 
has  ever  been  gathered,  even  in  Christian  lands,  with 
out  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  ?  What  body  of  men 
have  ever  been  led  to  remember  the  Sabbath-day  and 
keep  it  holy,  to  assemble  statedly  for  the  worship  of 
God,  daily  to  search  the  Scriptures,  to  pray  in  their 
families,  to  train  up  their  children  in  the  nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  and  walk  before  them 
in  all  his  ordinances,  except  those  who  have  heard  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel  ? 

"What  body  of  men  have  ever  been  led  to  feel 
that  they  '  are  not  their  own/  but  '  are  bought  with  a 
price ;'  and  been  persuaded  by  this  to  '  glorify  God 
in  body  and  spirit,  which  are  his?'  What  body  of 
men  have  ever  learned  to  imitate  Him  who  '  maketh 
his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil,  and  on  the  good ;  and  send- 
eth  rain  on  the  just,  and  on  the  unjust  ?7  Who  has 
ever  seen  a  company  of  Howards,  or  a  single  'How 
ard  Benevolent  Society/  among  all  the  generations 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANUOVER.  129 

and  tribes  of  men  who  have  never  heard  the  gospel  ? 
What  extensive  plan  of  charity  ever  was  known  of 
any  kind,  calculated  to  convey  substantial  good  to 
men,  in  any,  I  might  say,  even  of  the  concerns  of  this 
life?  But  these  I  shall  omit — for  while  I  speak  it,  I 
see  the  heavens  passing  away,  and  the  elements  melt 
ing  down ;  the  earth  and  the  things  of  it  burnt  up, 
and  all  its  concerns  swallowed  up  in  an  opening  and 
boundless  eternity. 

"  Who  has  ever  engaged  in  the  benevolent  plan  of 
making  known  Jehovah  in  that  wondrous  exhibition 
of  himself,  which  drew  forth  from  the  lips  of  angels, 
'  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good 
will  towards  men?'  Who  has  ever  engaged  in  mak 
ing  known  God  as  a  Saviour,  coming  down  from 
heaven  '  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost/  and 
in  opening  upon  the  dying  nations  the  infinite  riches 
of  his  grace,  except  those  who  have  heard  the  gospel? 

"  Would  our  Mayhews  and  Eliots  have  gone  from 
island  to  island,  and  spent  the  daytime  in  traversing 
the  desert,  and  the  night  in  translating  the  Bible,  if 
they  had  never  heard  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  ? 

"Would  Brainerd  have  poured  out  his  thousands 
of  supplications  in  the  wilderness,  and  spent  the  vigor 
of  his  days  in  bringing  wandering  pagans  back  to 
God,  if  he  had  never  heard  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  ? 

"Would  Swartz  or  Carey,  Yanderkemp  or  Bu 
chanan  have  broken  into  the  empire  of  darkness,  and 
held  up  to  the  perishing  nations  the  light  of  the  glo 
rious  gospel,  if  they  had  never  themselves  heard  the 
gospel?  Would  the  gospel  itself  ever  have  passed 


130  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

the  limits  of  Judea,  or  its  glad  tidings  been  published 
to  a  single  gentile  nation  on  earth,  if  it  had  not  been 
done  by  those  who  had  heard  the  gospel  ?  Search  the 
records  of  all  ages,  and  you  will  find  that  such  works 
of  mercy  have  never  been  done,  except  by  those  who 
have  heard  the  preaching  of  the  gospel.  Search  the 
Scriptures ;  examine  the  economy  of  divine  grace ; 
look  at  the  promises  of  God,  and  see  their  fulfilment 
in  his  providence ;  and  you  will  find  that  such  works 
of  mercy  never  will  be  done,  except  by  those  who  hear 
the  gospel. 

"  Nor  is  this  all.  Extinguish  the  light  of  a  living 
ministry,  and  let  it  not  be  revived,  and  all  Christen 
dom  will  sink  into  pagan  darkness.  Bibles,  and  the 
writings  of  pious  men,  they  may  continue  to  have  j  but 
if  these  do  not  produce  influence  enough  to  raise  up 
among  them  a  living  ministry,  all  will  soon  be  locked 
up  in  the  slumbers  of  moral  death. 

"This  is  not  because  the  Bible  does  not  reveal 
every  principle  of  holy  action  which  is  or  can  be  ex 
hibited  by  living  preachers,  and  every  principle  too 
which  is  needed  in  order  to  arouse  the  whole  world, 
and  pour  the  tide  of  benevolence  over  all  its  popula 
tion  ;  but  it  is  because,  without  living  preachers,  men 
have  not  the  grand  means  which  God  has  appointed 
for  causing  the  principles  of  holy  action  which  are 
revealed  in  the  Bible,  to  take  possession  of  the  heart, 
and  to  govern  the  life. 

"The  Bible  may  be  sent  to  every  family  in  the 
world,  yet  if  they  never  hear  the  preaching  of  the  gos 
pel,  it  will  not  by  the  great  mass  of  people  ever  be 
daily  read.  Its  holy  principles  will  not  be  received, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  131 

and  its  holy  commands  will  not  be  obeyed.  If  its 
principles  are  examined  enough  to  be  understood,  they 
will  lodge  in  the  understanding,  and  not  take  posses 
sion  of  the  heart.  They  will  be  viewed  as  matters 
of  speculation,  rather  than  felt  as  principles  of  holy 
practice. 

"  How  is  it  with  those  parts  of  our  own  country 
which  once  had  the  light  of  a  living  ministry,  but  in 
which  that  light  has  been  extinguished  only  for  half  a 
century  ?  Is  there  not  a  great  increase  of  moral  dark 
ness?  Is  not  the  Sabbath  almost  universally  pro 
faned  ;  the  worship  and  ordinances  of  God  neglected? 
Do  not  idleness,  dissipation,  and  iniquity  prevail?  And 
even  with  the  sober  part  of  the  community,  is  it  not 
the  great  inquiry,  '  What  shall  we  eat,  what  shall  we 
drink,  and  wherewithal  shall  we  be  clothed?7  Who 
will  show  us  earthly  good  ?  And  do  not  the  great  in 
terests  of  vital  godliness  visibly  and  rapidly  decline  ? 

"  In  one  part  of  our  country,  there  were  sixteen 
towns  which  were  all  supplied  with  settled  ministers. 
Churches  were  gathered  in  every  town,  and  many  of 
them  were  in  a  flourishing  condition.  In  the  myste 
rious  providence  of  God,  they  have  within  half  a  cen 
tury  all  been  left  destitute.*  They  retained  the  Bible 
and  the  writings  of  pious  men  in  every  town ;  but 
the  great  interests  of  vital  religion  visibly  and  rapidly 
declined.  Ten  years  ago  there  were  not,  upon  an  av 
erage,  nine  members  of  the  church  in  a  town,  although 

*  We  have  reason  to  believe  that  these  towns  were  within 
about  fifty  miles  of  Boston ;  another  illustration  of  the  low  state 
into  which  the  churches  had  fallen  in  the  latter  part  of  the  last 
century. 


132  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

the  towns  contained,  upon  an  average,  nearly  a  thou 
sand  people.  In  four  towns  the  churches  had  become 
extinct.  In  one  of  those  towns,  when  they  had  a 
settled  minister,  there  was  a  church  of  forty  members ; 
and  in  another,  there  was  a  church  of  more  than  sixty 
members ;  but  those  members  were  not  suffered  to 
continue  by  reason  of  death.  And  none  arose  to  fill 
their  places.  At  length  the  grave  closed  upon  the 
very  last  member,  and  the  light  even  of  a  Christian 
profession  was  extinguished.  One  church  not  extinct 
had  had  no  communion  for  five  years.  Two  other 
churches  had  had  none  for  twenty  years.  Is  it  not 
plain  that  they  had  not  the  grand  means  which  God 
has  appointed  for  awakening  men  from  the  slumber 
of  moral  death,  and  leading  them  out  of  darkness 
into  the  light  and  liberty  of  his  children  ?  Even  the 
passing  traveller,  in  view  of  the  footsteps  of  deprav 
ity  which  he  everywhere  witnessed,  could  not  but  feel 
that  the  glory  had  departed.  So  would  it  be  without 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  in  every  town  in  our 
country,  and  throughout  the  world.  *  *  * 

"  SALVATION  !  who  can  measure  its  mighty  import  ? 
Who  can  tell  the  greatness  of  that  deliverance,  when 
a  soul  is  born  of  God  ?  Who  can  tell  what  it  is  for  an 
immortal  soul,  which  must  exist  as  long  as  God  shall 
exist,  to  be  delivered  from  inheriting  everlasting 
burnings,  changed  into  the  image  of  God,  and  raised 
to  dwell  with  Christ,  to  see  him  as  he  is,  and  be  like 
him  for  ever  ?  Oh,  salvation,  even  to  (me  soul,  is  a  great 
thing.  And  every  faithful  minister  that  you  raise  up, 
may,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  be  the  means  of  salva 
tion  to  great  numbers. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  133 

"  When  Richard  Baxter  began  to  preach  the  gos 
pel  at  Kidderminster,  there  was  but  about  one  pray 
ing  family  in  a  street.  The  Sabbath  was  openly  pro 
faned  ;  immorality  of  almost  every  kind  prevailed ; 
and  the  whole  town  was  a  scene  of  moral  desolation. 
Before  he  had  preached  there  fourteen  years,  in  pass 
ing  the  streets  on  the  Sabbath,  one  might  hear  a  hun 
dred  families  engaged  in  family  devotion,  and  in 
some  streets  there  were  not  more  than  two  families 
that  neglected  it.  The  number  of  communicants  at 
the  Lord's  table  was  more  than  six  hundred;  and 
among  them  all  were  not  twelve  persons  who  did  not 
give  reason  to  hope  that  they  were  born  of  God.  At 
the  same  time,  he  was  hopefully  the  means  of  salva 
tion  to  numbers  in  Worcester,  Cleobury,  Dudley,  Shef 
field,  and  many  other  places  where  he  occasionally 
preached  the  gospel.  Several  of  these  were  after 
wards  distinguished  ministers  of  Christ. 

"  Almost  every  week  he  received  letters,  mention 
ing  instances  of  hopeful  conversion  by  means  of  his 
'  Call  to  the  Unconverted.7  More  than  twenty  thou 
sand  copies  of  this  work  were  printed  in  a  year.  It 
was  published  not  only  in  England,  but  in  Scotland, 
Ireland,  France,  Germany,  Holland,  and  America. 
And  yet  it  was  believed  by  himself  and  by  others, 
that  his  '  Saints'  Rest '  had  been  the  means  of  salva 
tion  to  still  greater  numbers.  Portions  of  his  works 
have  been  read  in  nearly  all  the  Protestant  countries 
of  Christendom,  down  to  this  day.  And  it  is  not  too 
much  to  suppose,  that  there  has  not  been  a  year  since 
Baxter  died,  in  which  his  works  have  not,  to  some, 
been  the  means  of  salvation.  And  this,  should  the 


134  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

Lord  so  order  it,  may  continue  to  be  the  case  to  the 
end  of  the  world.  Go  forward  into  eternity,  and  by 
its  everlasting  light  look  at  the  greatness  of  what 
God  accomplished  by  means  of  Richard  Baxter. 

"Do  you  say  that  Baxter  was  a  rare  example ?  I 
grant  it.  And  in  this  day,  when  the  children  of  Zion 
are  taking  pleasure  in  her  stones,  and  favoring  her 
dust,  you  may  expect  other  rare  examples ;  and  that 
they  will  be  multiplied  until  they  shall  become  com 
mon  examples. 

"Henry  Martyn,  before  he  reached  the  age  of 
thirty-one,  besides  preaching  the  gospel  to  great  num 
bers,  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power,  had 
translated  the  whole  of  the  New  Testament  for  the 
millions  of  Hindoostan ;  and  also  for  the  millions  of 
Persia. 

"  By  the  labors  of  another  minister,  God  has  pre 
pared  the  whole  Bible  for  the  hundreds  of  millions  of 
China. 

"And  our  own  countryman,  Samuel  J.  Mills,  al 
though  he  died  a  young  man,  lived  long  enough  to  be 
a  leading  instrument  in  the  formation  of  a  Bible  So 
ciety  in  Pennsylvania,  and  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Tennessee,  Mississippi,  and  Louisiana.  And  he  was 
also  a  leading  instrument  in  the  formation  of  the 
American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Mis 
sions,  the  United  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  the 
African  School,  and  the  American  Bible  Society; 
institutions  which  are  extending  the  word  of  life  to 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  our  fellow-men. 

"But  you  say,  these  were  missionaries.  Missiona 
ries  ?  So,  I  trust,  will  be  many  whom  you  are  raising 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANLOVER.  135 

up,  and  missionaries  who  will  explore  every  dark 
region  under  heaven,  and  spread  the  light  of  holiness 
'  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  river  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth.7 " 

A  few  months  afterwards,  Dr.  Edwards  was  called 
to  advocate,  at  a  public  meeting  in  Boston,  the  reso 
lution,  "  That  the  influence  of  education  societies  upon  our 
literary  institutions  ought  to  be  acknowledged  with 
gratitude  to  God."  He  begins  by  showing  that  the 
pilgrim  fathers,  in  establishing  common-schools,  sought 
that  their  children  should  become  "  wise  unto  salvation, 
through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus,"  and  hence  regarded 
piety  an  essential  requisite  in  a  teacher.  "  Those  men 
who  left  the  delights  of  their  native  country,  braved 
the  dangers  of  the  ocean,  and  settled  in  a  waste  howl 
ing  wilderness,  that  they  might  educate  their  children 
for  God,  would  not  commit  them  to  one  who  knew 
not  God.  'How/  said  they,  'can  he  teach  others 
what  he  does  not  himself  know  ?  Besides,  if  he  is  not 
a  pious  man,  his  example,  instead  of  leading  them  to 
God,  will  tend  to  lead  them  away  from  him.  And 
what  advantage  will  it  be  to  our  children  to  become 
wise  for  this  world,  and  yet  be  fools  for  the  world  to 
come ;  to  become  great  and  distinguished  here,  and 
yet  be  outcasts  from  the  presence  and  favor  of  God 
hereafter  ?  Nor  had  they  much  confidence  that,  with 
out  pious  instruction  and  example,  their  children 
would  ever  become  wise  or  happy  for  this  world. 
They  had  learnt  the  lesson  which  ought  to  be  writ 
ten  upon  every  man's  heart,  that  godliness  is  that 
alone  which  is  profitable  unto  all'  things,  'having 


136  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  that  which  is  to 
come.' 

"It  was  the  promotion  of  this  also  which  was 
their  object  in  the  establishment  of  academies.  This 
also  was  their  object  in  the  establishment  of  colleges. 
They  were  founded  for  the  purpose,  primarily,  of 
raising  up  ministers  of  the  gospel.  Our  fathers,  in 
making  this  the  object  in  establishing  our  literary  in 
stitutions,  were  wise  men,  and  if  we  do  not  make  it 
our  object  in  supporting  them,  we  shall  be  as  far 
from  wisdom  as  they  were  from  folly.  Whatever 
tends  to  promote  this  object  in  our  literary  institu 
tions,  tends  to  promote  their  prosperity. 

"Education  societies  tend  strongly  to  promote 
this  object.  Since  their  formation  they  have  assisted 
more  than  seven  hundred  and  fifty  young  men,  of 
hopeful  piety,  in  their  preparation  for  the  gospel 
ministry.  About  two-thirds  of  these,  it  is  supposed, 
have  been  instructors  of  schools.  Education  societies 
then  have  furnished  five  hundred  instructors  of  com 
mon-schools.  Suppose  that  each  one  has  had  the  care, 
upon  an  average,  of  forty  children  ;  this  has  brought 
two  thousand  children  under  their  daily  instruction. 
To  them  they  have  read  the  Bible  j  with  them  united 
in  morning  and  evening  supplication.  And  often, 
after  showing  them  their  sins,  have  they  pointed 
them  to  '  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of 
the  world  ;'  and  that  too  at  the  most  interesting  period 
of  their  existence,  when  they  were  forming  and  fixing 
their  character  for  eternity.  Who  that  knows  the 
worth  of  the  soul,  or  views  it  on  a  state  of  trial,  and 
bound  to  eternity,  does  not  here  see  cause  for  grati- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  137 

tude  to  Almighty  God  for  the  influence  of  education 
societies  ?  I  have  known  a  single  teacher,  a  charity 
scholar  too,  in  a  single  season,  hopefully  the  means, 
under  God,  of  leading  no  less  than  ten  of  his  pupils 
to  that  knowledge  of  Christ  which  is  life  eternal. 
Eight  of  these  are  now  members  of  the  church,  and 
have  for  years  adorned  the  doctrine  of  God  our  Sav 
iour  by  their  lives  and  conversation. 

"  Probably  more  than  four  hundred  of  the  bene 
ficiaries  of  education  societies  have  been  members  .of 
academies.  Here  they  have  come  into  contact,  as 
daily  companions,  with  not  less  than  one  thousand 
youth  who  are  preparing  for  public  life.  And  as  'he 
that  walketh  with  wise  men  shall  be  wise/  their  influ 
ence  on  them  in  promoting  diligence,  sobriety,  and  the 
fear  of  the  Lord,  has  been  eminently  salutary. 

"  Several  hundred  of  these  beneficiaries  have  been 
members  of  colleges.  In  thirteen  different  colleges 
there  have  been,  within  seven  years,  revivals  of  re 
ligion.  In  seven  of  them,  in  the  course  of  two  years, 
one  hundred  and  eighty  students  were  added  to  the 
church.  And  it  is  the  united  opinion  of  the  officers 
of  these  colleges,  that  no  inconsiderable  part  of  these 
efforts  must  be  ascribed,  under  God,  to  the  influence 
of  beneficiaries. 

"  We  hear  of  a  revival  of  religion  in  a  college, 
and  rejoice  in  it  as  a  great  event.  But  when  we  look 
at  it  only  in  general,  we  have  but  a  very  inadequate 
idea  of  its  importance.  Fix  your  eyes  upon  a  single 
individual.  He  has  distinguished  talents,  and  has 
come  to  college  for  the  purpose  of  preparing  to  make 
a  distinguished  figure  in  the  world.  He  has  no  re- 


138  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

ligion,  has  in  view  no  higher  object  than  himself,  and 
never  casts  a  look  beyond  the  limits  of  time.  Upon 
the  members  of  that  college  God  pours  out  his  Spirit. 
Numbers  are  convicted  of  sin,  and  anxiously  in 
quiring  what  they  shall  do  to  be  saved.  He  remains 
unmoved.  He  looks  down  with  scorn  and  contempt 
upon  those  who  are  anxious  for  eternity. 

"  But  He  who  inhabiteth  eternity  has  made  him 
for  a  different  purpose,  and  an  arrow  from  his  quiver 
pierces  his  heart.  He  too  is  distressed,  and  finds  no 
rest.  In  the  class  of  which  he  is  a  member,  there  is 
one  charity  student.  No  sooner  is  this  young  man 
distressed  on  account  of  his  sins,  than  he  attaches 
himself  to  that  charity  student.  Often  they  are  seen 
in  the  lonely  walk  engaged  in  ardent  counsel,  one 
anxious  to  know  who  can  '  take  away  the  heart  of 
stone/  and  the  other  anxious  to  tell  him.  On  a  cer 
tain  day  they  retire  to  a  mountain,  in  imitation,  I 
trust,  of  Him  who  '-went  up  into  a  mountain  to  pray/ 
and  there  unite  in  supplication  to  the  God  of  heaven 
for  the  blessings  of  his  grace.  Impressions  are  made 
by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  the  mind  of 
that  young  man  which  will  never  be  effaced.  He  be 
comes  an  ardent  disciple  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  devotes  his  time,  talents,  and  influence  to  the 
promotion  of  His  glory  and  the  salvation  of  His 
people. 

"  Much  is  done  by  him  before  he  leaves  college. 
Then  he  enters  the  ministry,  and  his  labors  are 
blessed.  Numerous  churches  and  congregations,  who 
have  heard  him  with  delight,  are  anxious  to  obtain 
him  for  their  minister,  to  go  in  and  out  before  them. 


HIS  MINISTRY   IN  ANDOVER.  139 

break  to  them  the  bread  of  life,  and  guide  them  and 
their  children  in  the  way  to  heaven. 

"  But  God  has  opened  a  fountain  in  that  man's 
soul,  from  which  flows  a  current  of  benevolence  too 
strong  to  be  confined  within  the  limits  of  Christendom. 
He  crosses  the  Atlantic,  passes  round  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  and  up  through  the  Indian  Ocean,  and 
for  years  proclaims  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  on 
the  islands  and  continent  of  Asia.  From  that  land  of 
moral  death,  he  cries  with  a  voice  that  is  heard  half 
round  the  globe,  '  0  ye  blood-bought  churches  of 
Christ,  let  the  cry  among  you  be, Whom  shall  we  send, 
and  who  will  go  for  us  as  messengers  to  the  heathen  ? 
And  0,  ye  pious  youth,  let  the  echo  among  you  be, 
Here  are  we,  send  us.7  Nor  does  he  speak  only  to 
those  in  Christian  lands  ;  no,  he  daily  tells  the  wan 
dering  pagans  of  a  Saviour  who  has  bought  them  with 
his  blood.  With  one  hand  he  points  them  to  the 
cross,  and  with  the  other  gives  them  the  New  Testa 
ment  which  he  and  his  associates  have  translated  and 
printed  in  the  language  of  ten  millions  of  people. 
More  than  two  thousand  children  are  collected  to 
gether  in  missionary  schools,  to  read  in  their  own 
tongue  the  wonderful  works  of  Jehovah.  Hundreds 
of  thousands  of  religious  tracts  are  put  in  circulation, 
and  a  system  of  Christian  means  opened,  which,  like 
streams  from  the  fountain  of  life,  are  uniting  in  one 
great  and  mighty  river  to  carry  the  blessings  of  sal 
vation  through  that  extended  and  desolate  part  of  the 
world. 

"At  some  future  day,  I  see  a  Hindoo  traveller 
crossing  that  mighty  desert.  Weary  and  thirsty,  his 


140  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

soul  faints  within  him ;  but  directed  by  a  hand  unseen, 
he  meets  this  current  of  mercy,  and  it  is  to  him  *  as  a 
river  of  water  in  a  dry  place/  and  its  banks  are  '  as 
the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land.'  He 
drinks  of  this  water,  and  never  thirsts.  It  is  '  in  him 
a  well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life.' 
And  as  he  rises  and  goes  onward  '  from  strength  to 
strength,'  his  heart  kindles  with  holy  desire  to  know 
the  source  of  this  celestial  river.  With  an  enthusiasm 
more  ardent  than  ever  sought  the  source  of  the  Niger 
or  the  Nile,  he  traces  it  through  a  course  of  eighteen 
thousand  miles,  and  finds  that  it  comes  from  America. 
Not  content  with  this,  he  traces  it  among  our  hills 
and  dales,  till  he  comes  to  a  literary  institution.  Not 
content  with  this,  but  wishing  to  see  the  very  crevice 
from  which  it  sprung,  he  enters  the  interior,  and  after 
searching,  finds  that  he  who  was  honored  of  God  as 
an  instrument  of  opening  this  fountain  with  all  its 
blessings  upon  the  world,  was  a  charity  student.  And 
uniting  with  all  pious  charity  students,  and  all  pious 
benefactors  of  charity  students,  all  who  have  been  or 
shall  be  saved  from  eternal  death  by  their  labors,  he 
gives  the  glory  to  God  for  ever." 

HIS  ADDRESS  ON  SACRED  ELOQUENCE. 

The  "  Porter  Rhetorical  Society  of  the  Theological 
Seminary"  having  appointed  him  to  deliver  an  ad 
dress  before  the  officers  and  members  of  the  seminary, 
and  the  body  of  clergymen  and  others  to  assemble  at 
the  anniversary  of  the  institution,  September  26,  1824, 
he  chose  the  great  theme  of  a  minister's  preaching  the 
gospel  as  it  is  given  by  inspiration  in  the  Old  and  New 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  141 

Testaments,  in  which  he  gives  by  far  the  best  testimony 
and  record  within  our  reach  of  his  own  aims,  and  how 
he  fulfilled  them  in  his  public  ministrations. 

The  editors  of  the  Boston  Recorder  doubtless 
echoed  the  impressions  of  the  community  of  evangel 
ical  Christians  at  the  time,  when  they  said,  "  Who 
would  not  expect  on  such  an  occasion,  and  before  such 
an  audience  as  annually  collects  at  Andover,  that  an 
address  of  this  kind  would  contain  fine  specimens  of 
writing,  labored  periods,  rich  selections  of  imagery, 
sublimity  of  description,  and  a  powerful  combination 
of  language  ?  But  no  ;  here  is  no  display,  no  dazzle, 
no  apparent  effort.  Mr.  Edwards  was  to  speak  to 
an  audience  whose  sympathies  and  consciences  were 
awake,  and  his  is  the  eloquence  of  the  heart.  It  is 
not  boisterous,  not  vehement,  no  swell,  no  dashing, 
but  you  are  borne  on  a  stream  so  clear,  that  the  very 
foundations  over  which  it  rolls  are  laid  bare,  and  so 
deep  and  so  strong,  that  resistance  is  mocked.  "We 
never  recollect  hearing  or  reading  an  appeal  so  sim 
ple  in  its  plan  and  execution,  and  yet  so  powerful  in 
its  effect.  The  plan  is,  to  answer  three  questions  : 
*  What  was  the  object  of  God  in  appointing  the  ordi 
nance  of  public  speaking  on  sacred  subjects  ?  What 
kind  of  speaking  most  strongly  tends  to  accomplish 
that  object?  And  how  may  men  of  competent  talents 
and  learning  attain  to  that  kind  of  speaking  ?'  We 
give  some  extracts,  to  show  how  an  inimitable  sim 
plicity  can  be  united  with  true  eloquence.  We  con 
sider  this  style  as  the  true  style  for  a  sermon.  A 
child  can  understand  every  sentence,  and  a  philoso 
pher  kindle  at  the  energy  of  its  deep-toned  eloquence. 


142  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

One  thing  more.  The  writer  derives  his  eloquence 
and  power  from  the  Bible.  The  language  of  inspira 
tion  is  inseparably  interwoven  with  his  style,  and  the 
profound  infidel  of  France  would,  we  think,  have  ex 
tolled  the  Bible  with  a  double  enthusiasm,  could  he 
have  often  seen  its  eloquence  embodied  in  such  writing 
as  the  discourse  before  us.  When  Mr.  Edwards  takes 
up  the  second  point  of  discussion,  he  lays  down  what 
we  consider  a  very  important  position,  and  no  less 
ably  supported  than  clearly  laid  down.  It  makes 
sacred  eloquence  spring  from  a  heart  burning  with 
love  to  God  and  the  souls  of  men ;  and  all  attempts 
at  sacred  eloquence  without  these,  are  like  the  splen 
dor  of  snow  in  the  moonlight  of  December — it  shines 
and  sparkles,  but  the  more  it  does  so,  the  more  it 
freezes.  Preachers  may  talk  about  eloquence,  they 
may  write  prettily,  they  may  speak  charmingly,  but 
unless  they  feel  the  everlasting  truths  which  they 
utter,  they  are  not  and  cannot  be  eloquent." 

Having  premised  that  sacred  eloquence  is  the  art 
of  speaking  well  on  sacred  subjects,  he  says,  "  These  are 
subjects  which  relate  to  God,  to  Jesus  Christ,  to  the 
Holy  Ghost,  to  the  souls  of  men,  and  to  eternity. 
They  relate  especially  to  the  wondrous  manifestation 
of  the  Godhead  for  the  deliverance  of  unnumbered 
millions  of  our  race  from  the  ruins  of  the  apostasy, 
and  their  exaltation  to  the  holiness  and  bliss  of 
heaven.  The  character  of  God  ;  the  creation  and  fall 
of  man ;  the  way  opened  for  his  recovery  by  the  in 
carnation,  obedience,  and  death  of  Christ ;  the  trans 
formation  of  those  who  believe,  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  into  the  divine  image ;  the  dissolution 


ff  ^ 

HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOV 


of   the  world;    and    the   eternal 
righteous  and  the  wicked,  are  all  appropriately  sub 
jects  of  sacred  eloquence." 

"What,  then,  was  the  object  of  God  in  appointing 
the  ordinance  of  public  speaking  on  sacred  subjects  ? 

"  It  was  the  promotion  of  his  glory  in  the  salva 
tion  of  men.  This  salvation  consists  in  deliverance 
from  a  state  of  eternal  sinning  and  suffering,  and  in 
exaltation  to  a  state  of  eternal  holiness  and  bliss. 
It  includes  a  change  of  character  from  a  state  of  en 
mity  to  a  state  of  friendship  with  God.  This  change 
is  manifested  by  repentance  of  sin,  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  obedience  to  his  commands.  The  grand 
means  of  effecting  it  is,  by  divine  appointment,  pub 
lic  speaking.  This  then  is  the  object  of  sacred  elo 
quence,  to  reconcile  men  to  God,  for  the  purpose  of  pro 
moting  his  glory  in  their  salvation. 

"This  is  stated  to  be  the  object  by  the  highest 
authority.  Said  one  of  the  most  eloquent  men  that 
ever  lived,  who  was  taught  this  divine  art  from 
heaven,  and  who  spoke  as  he  was  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  '  Knowing  the  terror  of  the  Lord,  we  persuade 
men.'  To  what  did  he  persuade  them  ?  '  Be  ye  recon 
ciled  to  God.'  '  We  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead,  be 
ye  reconciled  to  God.'  '  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.'  And  '  whether  ye  eat  or  drink,  or  whatsoever 
ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God.'  Why  did  he  wish 
to  persuade  them  to  this  ?  '  Knowing  the  terror  of 
the  Lord :'  '  Other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than 
is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ.'  '  Neither  is  there  sal 
vation  in  any  other ;  for  there  is  none  other  name 
under  heaven  given  among  men,  whereby  we  must  be 


144  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

saved.7  '  And  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not 
see  life,  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him.'  '  The 
Lord  shall  be  revealed  from  heaven  with  his  mighty 
angels  in  flaming  fire,  taking  vengeance  on  them  that 
know  not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  shall  be  punished  with  ever 
lasting  destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord, 
and  from  the  glory  of  his  power/  To  save  men  from 
this  overwhelming  and  endless  destruction,  and  to 
raise  them  to  that '  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of 
glory/  is  the  object  of  sacred  eloquence.  This  was 
the  object  of  Paul.  It  was  the  object  of  Him  who 
spake  as  never  man  spake.  It  is  the  object  of  all 
who  are  like  him,  and  who,  with  his  spirit,  engage  in 
this  employment.  This  ought  to  be  the  object  of 
every  minister  of  the  gospel ;  and  of  every  individual 
who  unites  with  this  society  for  the  purpose  of  im 
provement  in  sacred  eloquence.  And  on  this  occasion, 
brethren,  I  shall  take  it  for  granted  that  this  is  your 
object.  I  shall  take  it  for  granted  that  your  object  is 
the  same  with  that  of  Paul,  from  the  memorable 
period  when  light  shone  around  about  him  from 
heaven,  and  it  was  said  of  him,  l  Behold,  he  prayeth  ;' 
and  when  he  was  borne  onward  by  the  love  of  Christ, 
through  perils  of  waters,  perils  of  robbers,  perils  by 
his  own  countrymen,  by  the  heathen,  in  the  city, 
in  the  wilderness,  in  the  sea,  among  false  brethren, 
in  weariness  and  painfulness,  hunger,  cold,  thirst, 
and  nakedness,  not  counting  life  dear  to  him,  till 
he  broke  out  in  triumphant  strains,  '  I  have  fought  a 
good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the 
faith.  Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  145 

righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  Judge, 
shall  give  me  at  that  day ;  and  not  to  me  only,  but 
unto  all  them  also  that  love  his  appearing.'  Yes,  I 
hear  your  hearts  echo,  this  is  the  object. 

"  What  kind  of  speaking  then  most  strongly  tends 
to  accomplish  this  object?  It  is  not  every  kind  of 
speaking,  nor  is  it  every  kind  of  speaking  on  sacred 
subjects.  *  What  is  the  chaff  to  the  wheat,  saith  the 
Lord  ?'  '  If  I  say  unto  a  wicked  man,  Thou  shalt 
surely  die,  and  thou  dost  not  warn  that  wicked  man, 
he  shall  die.'" 

A  WORLD-WIDE  OBJECTION  CONSIDERED. 

"What  kind  of  speaking  then  will  save  men?  I 
hear  it  whispered,  '  No  kind  of  speaking  whatever. 
To  save  men  is  the  work  of  God.  Repentance  of  sin, 
and  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  are  his  gifts.  It  is  not  of 
him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth,  but  of  God 
that  showeth  mercy.'  I  know  it.  Every  man  who 
understands  and  believes  the  Bible,  knows  it.  Paul 
may  plant,  and  Apollos  may  water,  but  God  giveth 
the  increase.  But  how  does  he  give  it?  Without 
the  planting  of  Paul  and  the  watering  of  Apollos,  or 
with  them  ?  After  he  has  appointed  means,  and  com 
manded  men  to  use  them,  does  he  give  his  blessing 
without  the  use  of  those  means,  or  with  it?  And 
does  the  fact  that  he  gives  the  blessing,  render  the 
means  which  he  has  appointed  useless  ?  Does  it  give 
the  least  hope,  or  furnish  the  least  excuse  to  those 
that  neglect  them-?  Let  God  answer.  'He  that  is 
idle  in  seed-time,  shall  beg  in  harvest,  and  have 
nothing.7  Although  neither  is  he  that  planteth  any 


146  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

thing,  neither  he  that  watereth,  as  to  being  the  author 
•of  blessings,  yet  he  that  planteth  and  he  that  water 
eth  are  both  as  instruments  essential,  because  God 
has  appointed  them.  And  working  all  things  after 
the  counsel  of  his  own  will,  he  gives  blessings  in  the 
way  of  his  own  appointment.  Hence,  it  is  a  principle 
in  his  administration,  settled  as  the  ordinances  of 
heaven,  that  'as  a  man  soweth,  so  shall  he  reap/ 
And  this  is  as  true  in  spiritual  things,  as  in  temporal. 
He  of  whom  are  all  things,  and  by  whom  are  all 
things,  ordinarily  apportions  the  harvest  in  kind  and 
quantity  to  the  seed  sown,  the  ground  cultivated,  and 
the  labor  bestowed  upon  it.  Hence  the  foundation 
for  that  which  is  the  glory  of  creatures  on  a  state  of 
probation,  an  abiding  conviction  of  absolute  dependence  on 
God,  and  of  obligation  perfectly  to  obey  him  j  leading  to 
deep  humility,  fervent  gratitude,  untiring  persever 
ance  in  duty,  a  disposition  to  view  all  blessings  as 
the  gifts  of  God  and  render  to  him  for  ever  all  the 
glory.  And  this,  instead  of  palsying  the  powers  of 
the  human  soul,  will  raise  them  to  the  highest  pitch 
of  exertion.  It  will  give  to  men  a  boldness  and  an 
energy,  a  vigor  and  perseverance,  both  in  willing  and 
in  doing,  which  nothing  but  a  conviction  that  God  is 
working  in  them  both  to  will  and  to  do,  will  ever 
accomplish.  Hence  when  He,  in  whom  dwelt  the  ful 
ness  of  the  Godhead  bodily,  would  lead  those  who 
were  not  sufficient  of  themselves  even  to  think  any 
thing  as  of  themselves,  to  undertake,  and  to  accom 
plish  the  most  difficult  and  glorious  work  ever 
thought  of  by  mortals,  he  told  them,  '  Without  me  ye 
can  do  nothing.'  Having  fastened  the  conviction  of 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  147 

this  truth  in  their  minds,  he  commanded,  '  Go  ye  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  crea 
ture/  And  to  sweep  away  every  objection  which 
the  ignorance,  sloth,  pride,  or  malice  of  men  could 
raise,  he  said,  *  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized, 
shall  be  saved ;  and  he  that  believeth  not,  shall  be 
damned.'  '  And  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto 
the  end  of  the  world/ 

"Believing  his  declaration,  and  relying  on  his 
promise,  as  workers  together  with  him,  they  went 
forth,  in  the  plenitude  of  their  weakness  and  his 
strength,  conquering  and  to  conquer.  Satan  and  his 
legions,  driven  out  from  strong-holds  which  they  had 
fortified  for  ages,  surrendered  their  captives,  and  re 
tired  in  dismay  before  this  band  of  martyrs,  as  they 
waved  in  holy  triumph  from  continent  to  continent,  the 
banner  of  the  cross.  Songs  of  deliverance  even  from 
eternal  death,  broke  from  a  thousand  tongues,  and  ten 
thousand  hearts  poured  forth  their  choicest  strains  to 
God  their  deliverer.  But  in  doing  this,  they  lost  sight 
neither  of  the  instruments,  nor  of  him  who  used  them. 
With  one  breath  they  cried, '  How  beautiful  upon  the 
mountains  are  the  feet  of  them  that  bring  good  tid 
ings,  and  that  publish  the  gospel  of  peace.'  With  the 
next  they  cried, '  Unto  Him  that  loved  us,  and  washed 
us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  and  hath  made  us 
kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father,  to  him  be 
glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever.' 

"  So  it  has  been  in  every  generation.  So  we  learn 
from  the  Bible  it  will  be.  I  heard  a  voice  saying, 
Who  are  these,  and  whence  came  they?  I  looked, 
and  lo,  a  multitude  which  no  man  could  number,  of 


148  REV.    JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues, 
stood  before  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  clothed 
with  white  robes  and  palms  in  their  hands,  and  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Salvation  to  our  God  that 
sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb.  Such, 
by  divine  appointment,  are  to  be  the  trophies  of  sa 
cred  eloquence.  Attended  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  it  is  destined  to  be  the  means  of  peopling 
heaven — preparing  multitudes  which  no  man  can 
number  to  shine  before  the  throne  of  God  in  the  lustre 
of  his  image,  and  reflect  the  brightness  of  his  glory 
through  the  universe. 

"  The  question  then  returns,  and  with  augmented 
interest,  What  kind  of  speaking  most  strongly  tends 
to  accomplish  this  ?  How  must  a  man  speak,  in  order 
to  promote  to  the  greatest  extent  the  salvation  of 
men?" 

THE  TRUTHS  OF  THE  BIBLE  IN  THEIR  OWN  DI 
VINELY  INSPIRED  CONNECTION. 

"  He  must  declare  all  the  truths  which  God  reveals,  in 
the  connections  in  which  he  reveals  them.  Jlnd  he  must 
declare  them  with  those  FEELINGS  which  these  truths,  clear 
ly  apprehended,  cordially  embraced,  and  faithfully  obeyed, 
will  inspire.  The  only  reason  why  preaching  of  any 
kind  is  ever  effectual  to  the  salvation  of  men  is,  God 
has  appointed  it,  and  attends  it  with  his  blessing. 
And  he  has  appointed  not  only  that  men  should 
preach,  but  has  told  them  what  to  preach.  '  Preach 
the  preaching  that  I  bid  thee.'  'Hear  the  word  at 
my  mouth,  and  give  them  warning  from  me.7  'He 
that  hath  my  word,  let  him  speak  my  word  faithfully.1 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVEE..  149 

This  requires  him  to  preach  whatever  God  reveals,  and 
as  he  reveals  it.  A  preacher  has  nothing  to  do  to  in 
vent  new  truths,  to  preach  those  which  God  does  not 
reveal,  or  those  which  he  does  in  any  different  man 
ner  and  connection  from  what  he  reveals  them.  To 
the  law  and  the  testimony — if  preachers  speak  not  ac 
cording  to  these,  there  is  no  light  in  them.  The  law 
of  the  Lord,  as  he  reveals  it,  is  perfect,  converting  the 
soul.  It  needs  only  to  be  understood  and  obeyed  to 
prepare  men  for  heaven.  The  testimony  of  the  Lord, 
as  he  gives  it,  is  sure,  making  wise  the  simple.  All 
that  a  preacher  has  to  do  is,  in  the  clearest  and  kind 
est  manner,  to  exhibit  this ;  illustrate  it  to  the  under 
standing,  and  impress  it  upon  the  heart.  '  Go  ye  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  crea* 
ture.'  This  gospel  is  that  revelation  which  is  made 
to  men  in  the  Bible;  all  of  which  is  given  by  inspi 
ration  of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  reproof, 
correction,  and  instruction  in  righteousness,  that  the 
man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto 
every  good  work.  The  whole  of  this  revelation, 
would  you  be  instrumental  to  the  greatest  extent  in 
saving  souls,  you  must  preach,  and  nothing  more. 
The  Bible  must  be  to  you  what  the  pillar  of  fire  and 
of  cloud  was  to  Moses.  Where  that  goes,  you  must 
go.  If  you  stop,  God  moves  on  without  you.  You 
are  left  behind  in  a  wilderness,  without  a  guide,  with 
out  a  helper.  Your  safety  and  your  success  both  de 
pend  upon  following  him.  Where  he  stops,  you  must 
stop.  If  you  move,  go  which  way  you  will,  you  go 
without  God.  Fight  as  you  may,  you  only  beat  the 
air.  Instead  of  conquering,  you  are  conquered.  Or 


150  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

if  you  seem  to  yourselves  to  gain  a  temporary  triumph, 
and  begin  to  scowl  upon  less  adventurous  spirits,  who 
dare  not  move  without  God,  it  is  only  a  feint  of  the 
enemy  to  draw  you  into  thicker  ambush,  and  sink  you 
into  deeper  ruin.  You  may  imagine  that  you  have 
hosts  strong  and  mighty,  who  can  overcome  in  battle ; 
but  like  the  Egyptians  in  the  sea,  the  more  numerous 
your  hosts  and  the  heavier  your  artillery,  the  deeper 
you  sink.  In  a  warfare  like  this,  nothing  can  be  done 
without  God.  And  he  will  accompany  none  but 
those  who  follow  him. 

"Would  you  rise  in  sacred  eloquence  to  the  high 
est  possible  pitch,  your  eloquence  as  to  matter,  must 
be  the  echo  of  the  eloquence  of  God.  That,  like  its 
author,  is  perfect.  The  perfection  of  human  eloquence 
is  to  be  like  it.  That  is  the  pattern  which  you  must 
always  follow.  And  those  who  honor  me,  saith  God, 
I  will  honor;  but  those  who  despise  me,  shall  be 
lightly  esteemed.  In  the  battle  with  flesh  and  blood, 
principalities  and  powers,  and  the  rulers  of  the  dark 
ness  of  this  world,  and  spiritual  wickedness  in  high 
places,  you,  without  God,  are  nothing;  less  than 
nothing  and  vanity ;  as  the  chaff  which  the  whirl 
wind  driveth  away.  You  cannot  for  a  moment  sus 
tain  yourself;  how  can  you  conquer  others? 

"In  illustration  of  the  principle  under  considera 
tion,  look  a  moment  at  the  grand  topic  of  revelation : 
that  which  as  a  means  in  saving  sinners  is  the  prin 
cipal  instrument  of  doing  all  that  revelation  can  do, 
namely,  the  character  of  God.  Who  understands  it, 
and  who  can  understand  it  but  himself?  Who  else 
can  reveal  it  ?  And  after  he  has  revealed  it,  who  can 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  151 

add  to  that  revelation,  or  take  from  it,  or  in  any 
respect  essentially  alter  it,  without  making  it  essen 
tially  imperfect?  No  matter  how  great  a  man's  tal 
ents,  or  extensive  his  learning;  had  he  a  mind  sur 
passing  a  thousand-fold  the  mind  of  Gabriel,  and  stor 
ed  with  all  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  that  has  ever 
existed,  or  that  ever  will  exist  out  of  the  mind  of  God, 
he  could  add  nothing  and  take  away  nothing  from 
divine  revelation  without  rendering  it,  so  far  as  he 
altered  it,  imperfect;  and  tending  to  prevent  its 
proper  effect  on  minds.  Would  you  produce  the  right 
effect  on  minds,  and  raise  this  effect  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  intensity,  and  give  it  the  greatest  extent, 
show  them  the  character  of  God  just  as  he  reveals  it. 
If  you  fail  essentially  here,  you  may  expect  to  fail 
everywhere.  You  may  speak  with  the  tongue  of 
men  and  of  angels,  but  without  exhibiting  the  char 
acter  of  God,  in  the  work  of  saving  sinners  you  will 
be  nothing ;  and  you  will  do  nothing  but  hinder  it. 
Should  your  voice  be  music  itself,  and  reach  the  ear 
of  every  being  in  creation,  it  will  fall  powerless  upon 
the  heart  which  is  at  enmity  with  God,  and  produce 
in  it  no  reconciliation  to  him. 

"You  will  not  make  men  feel  that  while  they  live 
in  known  sin  they  are  enemies  to  God.  You  will  not 
make  them  feel  that  on  account  of  this,  they  deserve 
to  perish.  You  will  not  make  them  feel  that  except 
they  be  '  born  again/  they  will  perish.  And  you  will 
not  reconcile  them  to  Him,  who,  if  they  do  not  repent, 
believe  on  Jesus  Christ,  and  serve  him,  will  punish 
them  with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  presence 
of  the  Lord,  and  the  glory  of  his  power.  How  can 


152  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

you  reconcile  men  to  God,  unless  they  feel  their  need 
of  reconciliation  ?  When  he  offers  them  deliverance 
from  destruction,  all  of  grace,  how  can  they  accept  it, 
as  all  of  grace,  if  they  feel  that  they  do  not  deserve 
that  destruction?  And  if  they  feel  that  they  do  not 
deserve  it,  how  can  you  reconcile  them  to  Him  who 
threatens  it,  and  who,  if  they  are  not  reconciled  to 
him,  will  bring  it  upon  them?  The  thing  is  impos 
sible.  Hence  I  say  again,  if  you  fail  essentially  here, 
you  may  expect  in  the  work  of  saving  sinners  to  faU 
everywhere.  Their  hearts  will  remain  cased  in  im 
penetrable  adamant,  and  not  the  voice  even  of  an 
angel  would  reach  them.  This  adamant  must  be 
broken,  and  the  heart  within  pierced.  And  there  is 
but  one  instrument  that  will  do  this,  THE  WORD  OP 
GOD.  This  will  do  it.  'Is  not  my  word  like  as  a 
fire,  saith  the  Lord ;  and  like  a  hammer,  that  breaketh 
the  rock  in  pieces  ?'  Would  you  assail  hearts  of  stono 
and  turn  them  to  hearts  of  flesh,  use  this.  '  And  as 
the  rain  cometh  down  and  the  snow  from  heaven,  and 
watereth  the  earth,  and  maketh  it  to  bring  forth  and 
bud,  that  it  may  give  seed  to  the  sower,  and  bread  to 
the  eater,  so  shall  my  word  be  that  goeth  forth  out  of 
my  mouth.  It  shall  not  return  unto  me  void  ;  it  shall 
accomplish  that  which  I  please,  and  prosper  in  the 
things  whereto  I  sent  it.'  Mark  the  instrument  of 
which  this  promise  is  made,  my  word  that  goeth  forth 
out  of  my  mouth.  Use  this.  And  attended  by  the 
omnipotence  of  Him  who  speaks,  it  will  be  quick  and 
powerful,  sharper  than  a  twoedged  sword,  piercing 
to  the  dividing  asunder  of  the  soul  and  spirit,  the 
joints  and  marrow,  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVEE.  153 

intents  of  the  heart.  It  will  stain  the  pride  of  human 
glory,  bring  down  high  looks,  and  lead  him  who  said, 
I  am  rich,  and  increased  in  goods,  and  have  need  of 
nothing,  to  cry,^Woe  is  me;  I  am  undone.  From  the 
crown  of  the  head  to  the  sole  of  the  foot  there  is  no 
soundness.  Against  thee,  and  thee  only  have  I  sinned, 
and  done  evil  in  thy  sight. 

"  And  strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  same  instru 
ment,  the  word  of  God  which  goeth  forth  out  of  his 
mouth,  that  wounds,  will  also  heal.  It  will  bind  up 
the  broken  heart,  and  heal  the  wounded  spirit.  It 
will  give  deliverance  to  captives,  and  the  opening  of 
the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound.  It  will  even  open 
blind  eyes,  and  let  in  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of 
the  glory  of  God,  and  lead  the  heart  that  was  dead, 
.to  cry,  '  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  thee?  and  there 
is  none  upon  the  earth  that  I  desire  beside  thee/ 
'The  Lord  is  my  portion.'  'Though  he  slay  me,  I 
will  trust  in  him.' 

"Nothing  but  the  word  of  God  will  do  this. 
Nothing  else  is  the'  sword  of  the  Spirit.  Other 
weapons  are  carnal ;  formed  by  the  pride  and  igno 
rance  of  men.  Be  furnished  with  them  as  abun 
dantly  as  you  will,  and  use  them  jas  dexterously,  in 
the  day  of  battle  you  will  fall.  Every  man  who  uses 
them  will  fall,  and  the  army  of  the  aliens  move  on 
in  triumph.  The  god  of  this  world  is  never  con 
quered,  he  never  retreats,  and  never  yields  a  captive, 
but  at  the  point  of  the  *  sword  of  the  Spirit.'  To 
cope  with  him  you  must  use  this  weapon.  And  yon 
must  use  it  naked  in  all  its  brightness.  Then  it  will 
be  mighty  through  God,  to  the  pulling  down  of  strong- 
7* 


154  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

holds,  casting  down  imaginations  and  every  high  thing 
that  exalteth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God, 
and  bringing  every  thing  into  captivity  to  the  obe 
dience  of  Christ.  However  numerous  or  powerful 
your  foes,  you  have  nothing  to  fear ;  for  the  Lord 
will  consume  them  with  the  breath  of  his  mouth,  and 
destroy  them  with  the  brightness  of  his  coming. 

"  Show  to  every  sinner  Jehovah,  as  he  shows  him 
self,  a  'just  God,  and  a  Saviour/  Call,  in  his  name, 
upon  every  one  to  love  him  with  all  the  heart  and 
soul  and  strength  and  mind;  and  whether  they  eat 
or  drink,  or  whatever  they  do,  to  do  all  to  his  glory. 
Tell  them  from  him,  that  it  is  a  reasonable  service  for 
them  to  be  holy  as  he  is  holy,  and  perfect  as  he  is 
perfect ;  but  that  they  have  all  gone  out  of  the  way, 
have  together  become  filthy,  that  there  is  none  right 
eous  among  them,  no,  not  one.  Tell  them  from  him, 
that  into  heaven  can  enter  nothing  that  defileth,  and 
that  except  a  man  be  born  again  he  cannot  see  the 
kingdom  of  God;  that  the  wicked  will  be  driven 
away  in  their  wickedness — be  turned  into  hell — go 
away  into  everlasting  punishment — and  the  smoke  of 
their  torment  ascend  up  for  ever  and  ever.  And  if 
while  you  lodge  his  testimony  on  the  ear,  he  carries 
it  to  the  heart,  and  fastens  there  the  conviction  that 
not  one  jot  or  tittle  of  what  he  has  said  will  fail  till  it 
all  comes  to  pass,  you  will  not  need  to  add  your  dem 
onstration.  They  will  feel  its  truth.  And  think  it 
not  strange  if  some  set  their  faces  against  the  heavens, 
and  are  almost  ready  to  curse  their  God  and  King, 
and  look  upward ;  while  others,  with  clearer  views  of 
their  own  guilt,  and  a  deeper  conviction  of  God's  jus- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  155 

tice,  close  their  lips  in  silence,  and  are  ready  to  sink 
into  eternal  despair.  As  they  cast  a  lingering  anxious 
look  to  you,  show  them  God  as  a  Saviour ;  although 
infinitely  rich,  for  their  sakes  becoming  poor,  that  they 
through  his  poverty  might  be  rich.  Go  with  them  to 
the  manger,  and  thence  through  prayers  and  tears 
and  sufferings  to  Calvary.  Follow  him  by  the  blood 
of  his  footsteps,  till  he  bears  their  sins  in  his  own 
body  on  the  tree;  and  let  them  hear  him  as.  he 
groans,  'My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken 
me?'  Tell  them  from  him,  that  he  is  wounded  for 
their  transgressions,  and  bruised  for  their  iniquities ; 
that  the  chastisement  of  their  peace  is  on  him ;  that 
the  Lord  hath  laid  upon  him  the  iniquities  of  us  all. 
And  as  he  struggles  under  the  amazing  load,  and  the 
sun  shrinks  away,  the  rocks  break  asunder,  and  the 
dead  start  from  their  graves,  ask  them,  If  these  things 
are  done  in  the  green  tree,  what  will  be  done  in  the 
dry  ?  And  as  they  sink  under  the  unutterable  answer, 
he  cries  in  agony, '  Father,  forgive  them/  And  if  they 
are  not  dead,  they  will  feel  that  God  has  no  pleasure 
in  the  death  of  the  wicked,  but  that  the  wicked  turn 
from  his  way  and  live.  They  will  hear  from  the 
cross  the  voice  of  infinite  kindness,  saying,  '  Turn  ye, 
turn  ye,  for  why  will  ye  die?'  And  if  they  are  not 
twice  dead,  they  will  feel  that  if  they  turn  not,  there 
will  remain  no  more  sacrifice  for  sin,  but  a  certain 
fearful  looking  for  of  judgment  and  fiery  indignation, 
which  shall  for  ever  devour  them. 

"But  supposing  they  are  dead,  twice  dead,  con 
sumed,  and  their  bones  bleaching  under  the  winds  of 
heaven,  be  not  discouraged!  If  you  are  surrounded 


156  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

on  every  side  with  dry  bones,  even  if  they  are  very 
dry,  and  you  are  asked  by  God,  Can  these  dry  bones 
live?  never  answer,  No;  but  prepare  to  preach  the 
preaching  that  he  bids  you.  Stand  before  the  cross, 
and  in  view  of  'earth's  sole  hope/  cry,  'Come,  0 
breath,  and  breathe  upon  these  slain.'  '  Awake,  thou 
that  sleepest ;  arise  from  the  dead,  and  Christ  shall 
give  thee  light.'  And  there  will  be  a  shaking  among 
the  dry  bones ;  they  will  come  together,  bone  to  its 
bone ;  flesh  and  sinews  will  come  upon  them,  and  skin 
cover  them  above,  and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  breathe 
into  them  the  breath  of  life.  And  as  soon  as  they 
open  their  eyes,  show  them  '  the  Lamb  of  God,  which 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.'  Invite  all  to  look 
unto  him  and  be  saved.  Tell  them  that  He  who  spared 
not  his  own  Son,  but  freely  gave  him  up  for  them  all, 
will,  with  him  also,  to  those  who  embrace  him,  freely 
give  all  things  ;  that  neither  death  nor  life,  nor  angels, 
nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor 
things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other 
creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  them  from  the  love 
of  God  in  Christ  Jesus.  And  that  they  may  have 
strong  consolation,  tell  them  that  he  hath  confirmed 
it  by  an  oath,  that  by  two  immutable  things,  in  which 
it  is  impossible  for  God  to  lie,  they  may  have  strong 
consolation  who  flee  for  refuge  to  the  hope  set  be 
fore  them. 

"  But  tell  them  too,  that  other  foundation  of  hope 
for  the  guilty  can  no  man  lay,  than  that  is  laid,  which 
is  Jesus  Christ ;  that  if  he  who  despised  Moses'  law 
died  without  mercy,  of  vastly  sorer  punishment  will 
he  be  thought  worthy  who  treads  under  foot  the  blood 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  157 

of  the  Son  of  God ;  that  whosoever  believeth  not  on 
him  shall  not  see  life,  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth 
on  him. 

"And  that  they  may  have  no  doubt  of  it,  carry 
them  forward,  till  he  comes  in  his  glory  and  the  glory 
of  his  Father,  with  the  holy  angels* ;  the  dead  small 
and  great  stand  before  him,  and  he  divides  them  one 
from  another  as  a  shepherd  divideth  his  sheep  from 
the  goats.  Let  them  hear,  '  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my 
Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world;7  and,  'Depart  from  me, 
ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil 
and  his  angels.7  Let  them  see  the  wicked  going  away 
into  eternal  punishment,  and  the  righteous  into  eter 
nal  life.  Yes,  my  brethren,  let  them  see  it.  And  that 
they  may,  see  it  yourselves.  Stand,  when  you  preach, 
on  the  ruins  of  the  world ;  see  the  heavens  passing 
away  with  a  great  noise,  and  -the  elements  melting 
with  fervent  heat ;  the  earth  also  and  all  things  in  it 
burnt  up ;  your  hearers  going  away,  some  into  ever 
lasting  punishment,  and  others  into  life  eternal — and 
this  to  depend  as  a  means  upon  you ;  and  you  cannot 
but  be  eloquent.  With  the  groans  of  the  damned 
and  the  songs  of  the  blessed  mingling  on  your  ear,  and 
the  love  of  Christ  in  your  heart,  you  cannot  but  be 
eloquent.  Every  look,  every  action,  every  word,  and 
every  tear  will  be  eloquent.  And  it  will  be  the  elo 
quence  of  the  heart,  which  is  the  means  of  God's  ap 
pointment  to  reach  the  heart.  This  is  the  eloquence 
which  he  delights  to  bless,  the  eloquence  of  the  heart, 
in  view  of  an  eternal  heaven,  and  an  eternal  hell,  to 
one  of  which  each  individual  of  the  human  family  is 


158  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

hastening ;  constrained  by  love  to  pour  out  its  emo 
tions  to  save  immortal  souls  from  sinking  eternally  in 
the  one,  and  raise  them  to  dwell  eternally  in  the 
other.  And  though  this  eloquence  has  none  of  the 
trappings  of  human  oratory,  and  is  nothing  but  faith 
in  Christ,  and  love  to  souls  uttering  itself  in  the  strong 
unaffected  language  of  the  heart,  it  will,  with  the  bless 
ing  of  God,  impress  the  heart  and  subdue  it ;  for  it 
pleases  God,  by  the  foolishness  of  such  preaching,  to 
save  them  that  believe. 

"Preach,  my  brethren,  the  truth  of  God  in  this 
manner,  for  the  purpose  of  glorifying  him  in  the  sal 
vation  of  men,  and  you  may  hope,  through  grace,  to 
turn  many  to  righteousness ;  and  afterwards  to  shine 
as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament,  and  as  the  stars 
for  ever  and  ever." 

THIS  KIND  OF  SPEAKING  TAUGHT  BY  THE  HOLY 
SPIRIT. 

"  How  then  can  you  attain  to  this  kind  of  speaking  ? 
You,  I  mean,  who  have  competent  talents,  learning, 
and  powers  of  utterance ;  who  have  all  needful  human 
instruction,  and  are  willing  to  make  the  sacrifices  and 
efforts  which  such  an  attainment  requires.  You  must 
be  taught  it  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  Human  teaching  is 
needful  to  show  you  how,  in  the  best  manner,  to  ex 
press  your  feelings ;  but  you.  must  have  divine  teach 
ing,  in  order  to  possess  those  feelings,  which  are  essen 
tial  to  sacred  eloquence.  No  one  but  God  can  teach 
you  rightly  to  apprehend  his  truth,  cordially  to  em 
brace  it,  and  powerfully  to  feel  its  efficacy  on  your 
own  hearts;  or  with  those  feelings  which  truth  in- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  159 

spires,  communicate  it  to  others.  On  these  points, 
each  of  which  is  essential  to  sacred  eloquence,  you 
must  be  taught  of  God.  To  receive  his  teaching,  you 
must  feel  deeply  your  need  of  it.  God  does  not  com 
municate  his  instruction  where  it  is  not  desired.  To 
receive  it  you  must  desire  it,  ardently  desire  it.  You 
must  daily  ask  for  it,  and  be  ready,  with  the  meek 
ness  and  docility  of  children,  implicitly  to  receive  it. 
For  this  purpose  you  must  daily  listen  to  what  he 
declares  in  the  Bible ;  and  with  that  fixed  attention 
which  you  would,  should  you  hear  him  declare  it  from 
the  throne  of  his  excellent  glory.  And  you  must  feel, 
deeply  feel,  that  it  is  all  true,  and  all  important ;  that 
the  Bible  is  all  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is  all 
profitable.  And  as  such  you  must  receive  it,  and 
obey  it.  Love  the  same  things  that  God  loves,  hate 
the  same  things  that  He  hates,  and  seek  in  all  your 
efforts  the  same  great  end.  In  doing  this,  let  his  will 
made  known  in  the  Bible  be  your  guide.  When  you 
understand,  always  follow  it.  Do  nothing,  even  in 
thought,  which  he  forbids.  Neglect  nothing,  even  in 
feeling,  which  he  requires.  Form  no  plans,  engage  in 
no  business,  do  no  actions,  speak  no  words,  cherish  no 
thoughts,  exercise  no  desires,  and  indulge  no  feelings 
but  what  you  really  believe,  after  all  the  light,  that 
you  can  gain,  God  approves.  In  every  place,  and  at 
all  times,  let,  '  Thou  God  seest  me/  be  written  upon 
your  hearts;  and  underneath  this  inscription,  'Thy 
favor  is  life,  and  thy  loving-kindness  is  better  than 
life.'  Act  continually  under  this  conviction,  and  let 
it  be  vpur  grand  object  to  please  God,  and  be  like 
him.  T^hose  books,  those  studies,  those  conversations, 


160  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

those  amusements,  and  those  desires  which  draw  you 
away  from  God,  and  render  you  unlike  him,  abhor, 
renounce.  Have  nothing  to  do  with  any  thing  which 
you  cannot,  in  some  way,  make  subservient  to  the 
glory  of  God,  in  the  salvation  of  men.  Would  you 
rise  to  the  highest  pitch  of  sacred  eloquence,  keep 
your  eye  and  your  heart  fixed  on  this  grand  point, 
and  towards  it  direct,  without  ceasing,  your  highest 
efforts.  Let  the  same  mind  be  in  you  which  was  also 
in  Christ  Jesus.  Let  no  trials,  no  sacrifices,  no  temp 
tations  turn  you  from  the  path  of  duty.  Walk  with 
God.  Live  by  faith.  Reside  at  the  throne  of  grace, 
and  habitually  commune  with  Him  who  sits  upon  it. 
One  hour's  communion  with  God  daily,  amidst  the 
realities  of  eternity,  will  do  more  to  make  a  man 
excel  in  sacred  eloquence,  than  a  whole  life  of  labori 
ous  study  without  it.  Select  your  text,  prepare  your 
sermon,  and  preach  for  eternity.  This  will  make  you 
truly  eloquent.  This  was  the  grand  secret  in  the 
eloquence  of  Baxter,  when  there  was  scarce  a  family, 
through  an  immense  congregation,  which  was  not  a 
family  of  daily  prayer ;  and  which  did  not  become 
such  through  his  instrumentality.  It  was  because  the 
fire  was  kindled  from  heaven,  which  glows  on  the 
pages  of  his  *  Saints'  Rest/  that  it  has  lighted  its  thou 
sands  to  glory.  It  is  because  it  was  thus  kindled, 
that  it  continues  to  burn,  and  will  continue  with  in 
creasing  brightness  and  glory  till  the  last  conflagra 
tion. 

"This  was  the  grand  secret  in  the  eloquence  oi 
Brainerd :  as  it  echoed  through  the  trees  of  the  forest, 
the  savage  dropped  his  tomahawk,  and  withflltream- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  161 

ing  eyes  cried,  Guttummaukalummeh,  guttummaukalum- 
meh — Have  mercy  upon  me,  have  mercy  upon  me. 

"  This  was  the  very  soul  of  the  eloquence  of  Paul, 
as  kings  on  their  thrones  trembled,  and  beggars  leaped 
for  joy.  It  made  songs  of  triumph  echo  in  the  dun 
geon,  and  carried  transports  of  joy  to  the  rack,  and 
the  flames. 

"  Nor  has  it  lost  the  least  degree  of  its  power  in 
eighteen  hundred  years.  No,  even  now,  it  melts  icy 
hearts  on  the  cliffs  of  Greenland,  lights  with  celestial 
brightness  the  plains  of  Hindostan  •  it  removes  black 
ness  even  from  the  Hottentot,  and  opens  upon  the 
Otaheitan  the  '  light  of  the  world.7 

"Excel,  my  brethren,  in  this  kind  of  eloquence, 
and  extend  it  through  the  world  ;  and  the  light  of  the 
moon  will  be  like  the  light  of  the  sun ;  the  light  of 
the  sun  will  be  sevenfold — and  the  LIGHT  OF  ZION  will 
eclipse  them.  Kings  will  come  to  her  light,  and 
princes  to  the 'brightness  of  her  rising.  Her  sun  will 
not  go  down  by  day,  her  moon  not  withdraw  itself; 
the  LORD  will  be  her  everlasting  light,  and  the  Lamb 
her  glory.  A  voice  will  be  heard,  '  The  kingdoms  of 
the  world  are  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord,  and 
his  Christ.'  And  the  whole  earth  will  be  full  of  his 
glory,  as  the  w,aters  fill  the  seas." 

THE  CHURCH  THE  PILLAR  AND  GROUND  OF 
THE  TRUTH. 

He  was  now  called  to  another  public  occasion  :  an 
installation  in  one  of  those  numerous,  and  often  small, 
self-sacrificing  evangelical  churches  in  eastern  Mas 
sachusetts,  who,  for  the  sake  of  Christ  and  the  gospel, 


162  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

separated  themselves  from  the  sanctuary  of  their  fa 
thers,  in  the  midst  of  obloquy  and  opposition.  It  was 
at  the  rock  of  Plymouth,  the  very  landing-place  of  the 
Puritan  fathers,  November  3,  1824.  The  responsi 
bility  boldly  and  faithfully  to  proclaim  the  truth  of 
God,  he  felt  to  be  great ;  and  his  subject  and  manner 
of  treating  it  give  the  intelligent  Christian  reader  no 
little  insight  into  his  own  character  as  a  minister  of 
Christ,  and  the  perilous  state  of  the  churches  when  he 
was  called  into  public  life. 

His  theme  was,  "  That  thou  mayest  know  how  thou 
oughtest  to  behave  thyself  in  the  house  of  God,  which 
is  the  church  of  the  living  God,  the  pillar  and  ground  of 
the  truth;"  from  which  he  undertook  to  show,  "in  a 
plain  scriptural  manner,"  "  What  is  the  church  ?  What 
is  the  truth  which  the  church  supports?  How  does 
the  church  support  it ;  a'nd  for  what  reasons  ?" 

"  The  word  CHURCH  is  sometimes  used  in  the  New 
Testament  for  all  persons  who  have  been,  or  shall  be, 
born  of  God ;  and  who  will  stand  at  the  last  day  on 
the  right  hand  of  Christ.  Thus  it  is  used  in  the  fifth 
chapter  to  the  Ephesians  :  *  As  Christ  also  loved  the 
church,  and  gave  himself  for  it,  that  he  might  sanctify 
and  cleanse  it,  with  the  washing  of  water  by  the  word ; 
that  he  might  present  it  to  himself  a  glorious  church, 
not  having  spot,  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing ;  but 
that  it  should  be  holy  and  without  blemish/ 

"  But  the  word  church  is  more  often  used  for  only 
a  part  of  these  persons ;  who  are  at  the  same  time  on 
earth,  and  so  near  as  to  unite  with  such  as  profess  to 
be  like  them,  in  supporting  the  worship,  observing 
the  ordinances,  and  obeying  the  commands  of  God. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  163 

Thus  we  read  of  '  the  church  of  God  which  is  at  Cor 
inth  ;'  '  the  churches  of  Asia  ;'  '  the  church  of  the 
Thessalonians,  in  God  our  Father,  and  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.' 

"But  what  was  the  character  of  these  persons, 
such  of  them  as  were  in  reality  what  they  professed 
to  be  ?  They  were  born  of  God.  They  all  professed 
to  receive  Jesus  Christ.  And  'as  many  as  received 
him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons  of 
God ;  who  were  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of 
man,  but  of  God.'  To  be  born  of  God,  is  a  phrase  used 
in  the  Bible  for  that  change  without  which  a  man  can 
not  see  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

"  That  the  members  of  the  church,  in  the  days  of 
Paul,  if  they  were  what  they  professed  to  be,  had 
experienced  this  change,  is  evident  from  the  manner 
in  which  the  Holy  Ghost  speaks  of  them.  '  The  Lord 
added  to  the  church  such  as  should  be  saved.'  Paul 
said  to  members  of  the  church,  'According  to  his 
mercy  he  saved  us,  by  the  washing  of  regeneration, 
and  the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.'  The  preach 
ing  of  the  cross  is  foolishness  to  them  that  perish ;  but 
unto  us  that  are  saved,  it  is  the  power  of  God.  c  Who 
hath  saved  us,  and  called  us  with  a  holy  calling,  not 
according  to  our  works,  but  according  to  his  purpose 
and  grace.'  Speaking  of  openly  immoral  persons,  he 
says  to  members  of  the  church,  *  Such  were  some  of 
you ;  but  ye  are  washed,  ye  are  sanctified,  ye  are  jus 
tified  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  by  the  Spirit 
of  our  God.'  '  You  hath  he  quickened,  who  were  dead 
in  trespasses  and  sins.'  '  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy, 
for  his  great  love  wherewith  he  loved  us,  even  when 


164  REV.  JUSTIN    EDWARDS,   D.  D. 

we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together  with 
Christ.'  '  "We  are  his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ 
Jesus  unto  good  works.' 

"  Such  were  members  of  the  church  in  the  days  of 
Paul.  They  were  the  '  household  of  faith.'  They  were 
'  built  upon  the  foundation  Jesus  Christ ;'  '  in  him  fitly 
framed  together,  and  growing  up  unto  a  holy  temple 
in  the  Lord.'  'They  were  builded  together  for  a 
habitation  of  God,  through  the  Spirit.'  'The  Holy 
Ghost  dwelt  in  them.'  'They  were  members  of 
Christ's  body,  of  his  flesh,  and  of  his  bones  ;'  and 
were  so  joined  to  the  Lord  as  to  be  '  one  spirit.'  These 
persons  repenting  of  their  sins,  believing  with  the 
heart  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  whom  he  was 
*  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness,'  united  together 
with  such  as  professed  to  be  like  them,  to  support  the 
worship,  observe  the  ordinances,  and  obey  the  com 
mands  of  God.  In  this  united  character  they  were 
the  '  church  of  the  living  God,  the  pillar  and  ground 
of  the  truth.'  And  such  has  been  '  the  church  of  the 
living  God '  in  every  generation,  down  to  the  present 
day.  They  are  persons  who,  if  they  are  what  they  pro 
fess  to  be,  are  born  of  God,  repent  of  all  their  sins,  believe 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  have  passed  from  death 
unto  life. 

"What  is  THE  TEUTH  WHICH  THE  CHUKCH  SUP- 
POETS?  What  truth  did  it  support  in  the  days  of 
Paul  ?  The  truth  which  Paul  preached,  when  he  '  de 
termined  to  know  nothing  among  them,  save  Jesus 
Christ  and  him  crucified ;'  and  '  delivered  unto  them, 
first  of  all,  that  Jesus  Christ  died  for  our  sins,  accord 
ing  to  the  Scriptures ;  and  rose  again  for  our  justifi- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  165 

cation,  according  to  the  Scriptures:7  when  he  said, 
'  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world  is  cruci 
fied  to  me,  and  I  to  the  world;  for  in  Christ  Jesus 
neither  circumcision  availeth  any  thing,  nor  uncircum- 
cision,  but  a  new  creature/  *  And  if  any  man  be  in 
Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature  •  old  things  are  passed 
away  ;  behold,  all  things  are  become  new.7  That  the 
church  supported  this  truth,  is  evident  from  the  fact, 
that  it  is  the  truth  of  God,  and  they  were  converted 
by  it.  '  I  neither  received  it  of  man,7  said  he, '  neither 
was  I  taught  it,  but  by  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ.7 
And  '  I  have  begotten  you  through  the  gospel  ;7  '  which 
ye  have  received,  wherein  ye  stand,  and  by  which  ye 
are  saved,  unless  ye  have  believed  in  vain.7 

"This  will  not  ^e  denied.  All  will  admit,  that 
the  church  of  the  living  God,  when  faithful  to  him, 
did,  in  the  days  of  Paul,  support  the  truth  which  he 
preached.  But  the  great  question  is,  What  is  the 
truth  which  Paul  preached?  About  this,  there  is  a 
great  difference  of  opinion ;  and  there  was,  even  in 
the  days  of  Paul.  Some  said,  that  he  preached  what 
he  said  that  he  did  not  preach.  Others  said,  that  he 
did  not  preach  what  he  said  that  he  did.  Yet  Paul 
was  one  of  the  plainest  preachers,  as  well  as  one  of 
the  best,  that  ever  lived.  And  had  there  been  but  one 
feeling  about  his  preaching,  and  that  of  cordial  appro 
bation,  there  would  have  been  but  one  opinion  as  to 
what  it  was.  And  it  would  have  been  to  all,  'the 
wisdom  and  the  power  of  God.7 

"  But  as  there  was  a  difference  of  feeling  about  his 
preaching,  there  was  a  great  difference  of  opinion  as 


166  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

to  what  it  was.  A  similar  difference  of  feeling,  has 
made  a  similar  difference  of  opinion  ever  since.  Af 
ter  all  the  light  which  has  been  thrown  upon  it  by  the 
dispensations  of  Providence,  and  the  manifestations 
of  grace,  for  more  than  seventeen  hundred  years,  there 
is  now  a  great  difference  of  opinion  about  the  preach 
ing  of  Paul.  The  Holy  Ghost,  seeing  the  end  from 
the  beginning,  knew  that  this  would  be  the  case.  He 
therefore  directed  Paul,  in  the  next  verse  to  the  text, 
to  tell  what  the  truth  is  which  he  did  preach ;  and 
which  the  church  of  the  living  God  does  support. 
This  he  has  done,  in  words  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
taught  him.  '  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,  justified  in 
the  Spirit,  seen  of  angels,  preached  unto  the  Gentiles,  be 
lieved  on  in  the  world,  received  up  into  glory.' 

"  This  is  the  truth  which  Paul  preached,  and  which 
the  church  of  the  living  God  supports :  '  God  was 
manifest  in  the  flesh.7  '  He  who  in  the  beginning  was 
with  God,  and  who  was  God,  was  made  flesh,  and 
dwelt  among  us.'  'He  took  not  on  him  the  nature 
of  angels,  but  the  seed  of  Abraham  ;'  '  of  whom,  con 
cerning  the  flesh,  Christ  came,  who  is  over  all,  God 
blessed  for  ever;'  'the  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the 
Mighty  God,  the  Everlasting  Father,  the  Prince  of 
Peace ;'  '  the  Alpha  and  Omega ;  the  beginning  and 
ending ;  which  is,  and  was,  and  is  to  come,  the  Al 
mighty  ;'  '  by  whom  all  things  were  created,  that  are 
in  heaven,  and  that  are  in  earth ;  visible,  and  invisi 
ble  ;  whether  they  be  thrones,  or  dominions,  or  prin 
cipalities,  or  powers ;'  '  all  things  were  created  by  him 
and  for  him ;'  '  and  without  him  was  not  any  thing 
made  that  was  made.'  Yet  though  he  was  so  rich, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  167 

*  for  our  sakes  he  became  poor,  that  we,  through  his 
poverty,  might  be  rich.'  Though  he  was  God,  for 
our  sakes  he  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant, 
and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men.  Let  it  be  told 
to  every  being  in  creation  ;  let  it  be  echoed  by  every 
tongue  in  the  universe,  and  felt  by  every  heart  to 
eternity,  '  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh  J 

"  This  is  the  truth  which  the  *  church  of  the  living 
God7  supports.  By  this  is  not  meant,  however,  merely 
the  single  fact  that  he  became  a  man ;  but  this  fact 
taken  in  connection  with  other  facts  as  God  has  re 
vealed  them.  Hence  said  Paul  not  only,  '  God  was 
manifest  in  the  flesh/  but  'justified  in  the  Spirit,  seen 
of  angels,  preached  to  the  Gentiles,  believed  on  in  the 
world,  received  up  into  glory.'  '  Being  found  in  fash 
ion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself/  and  for  the  sake 
of  accomplishing  his  work  as  a  Saviour, '  became  obe 
dient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross/  But 
death  could  not  hold  him.  He  was  never  its  prisoner, 
but  only  a  voluntary  captive.  And  having  accom 
plished  his  object  in  dying,  he  arose,  with  all  power 
in  heaven,  and  on  earth.  Then  he  was  'justified  in 
the  Spirit/  The  truth  of  his  declarations  was  demon 
strated,  and  his  claims  as  Messiah  established  for 
ever.  In  this  condition,  as  conqueror  of  earth  and 
hell,  he  was  '  seen  of  angels.7  Multitudes  beheld  him. 
Chosen  witnesses  were  sent  to  declare  his  resurrec 
tion,  and  preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of  his  grace, 
not  to  Jews  only,  but  to  Gentiles — to  all  nations.  And 
although  they  did  not  see  him,  and  had  no  ocular  dem 
onstration  of  his  resurrection,  yet  he  was  'believed 
on ;'  and  by  vast  multitudes,  even  after  he  was  '  re- 


168  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

ceived  up  into  glory.'  And  although  'not  seen/  he 
was  '  loved.'  To  all  that  believed  on  him  he  was  '  pre 
cious/  the  'chief  among  ten  thousand/  'altogether 
lovely/  And  this  has  been  the  case  with  all  who  have 
believed  on  him,  down  to  the  present  day.  They  have 
been  ready  to  cry,  with  Thomas,  '  My  Lord,  and  my 
God ;'  with  Paul,  to  '  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the 
excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  ;'  and  with  Ste 
phen,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  cry,  '  Lord  Jesus,  re 
ceive  my  spirit.' 

"These  persons,  wherever  found,  have  united  to 
gether  ;  that,  not  as  individuals  only,  but  churches, 
they  might '  serve  the  Lord  Christ ;'  and  thus  support 
the  truth,  that '  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh.' 

"  In  view  of  this  truth,  thinking  men  have  always 
been  disposed  to  ask,  Why  was  he  manifest  in  the  flesh  ? 
The  church  has  answered,  in  the  language  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  '  That  he  might  be  a  merciful  and  faithful  high- 
priest  in  things  pertaining  to  God,  to  make  reconcili 
ation  for  the  sins  of  the  people ;'  and  '  such  a  high- 
priest,'  say  they,  *  became  us.'  '  He  was  wounded  for 
our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities  ; 
the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him,  and  with 
his  stripes  we  are  healed.  All  we  like  sheep  have 
gone  astray ;  and  the  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  ini 
quity  of  us  all.'  '  Christ  hath  redeemed  us  from  the 
curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for  us.'  '  And 
he  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins ;  and  not  for  ours 
only,  but  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world.' 

"The  moment  this  is  believed,  another  question 
arises,  Why  was  he  the  propitiation  for  our  sins,  and 
for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world  ?  And  the  answer  of 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  169 

the  church  is, '  That  God  might  be  just,  and  the  justi- 
fier  of  him  that  believeth.7  '  He  hath  made  him,  who 
knew  no  sin,  to  be  sin/  (a  sin-offering,) '  for  us,  that  we 
might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him/  And 
'there  is  now  no  Condemnation  to  them  that  are  in 
Christ  Jesus,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after 
the  Spirit.7  '  The  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ 
Jesus  hath  made  them  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death.7  'For  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  right 
eousness  to  every  one  that  believeth.7  And  '  he  that 
believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life.7  No  sooner 
is  this  heard  as  the  declaration  of  God,  and  believed, 
than  the  question  arises,  What  will  be  the  condition 
of  those  that  believe  not  ?  And  the  church  answers 
in  the  language  of  God,  '  They  shall  not  see  life,  but 
the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  them.7  '  He  shall  send 
forth  his  angels,  and  gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all 
that  offend,  and  them  that  do  iniquity,  and  shall  cast 
them  into  a  furnace  of  fire,  and  there  shall  be  wailing 
and  gnashing  of  teeth.7  '  They  shall  go  away  into 
everlasting  punishment  ;7  '  and  the  smoke  of  their  tor 
ment  ascendeth  for  ever  and  ever.7 

"Such  is  the  truth  which,  on  the  declaration  of 
God,  and  in  the  connection  in  which  he  has  revealed 
it,  the  church  of  the  living  God  supports.77 

He  proceeds  to  show  that  the  church  SUPPORTS 
THIS  TRUTH — by  believing  it — by  openly  professing 
it — by  the  preaching  and  ordinances  of  the  gospel — 
by  teaching  it  to  her  children,  under  which  head  he 
says, 

"  The  wisdom  that  is  from  beneath  says,  Give  to 
children  no  religious  instruction ;  and  exert  upon  them 

Edwards.  8 


170  UKV.JirSTlN    EDWARDS,  U.  U. 

no  moral  influence  in  favor  of  tlio  gospel,  lost  they 
receive  an  improper  bias ;  let  them  alone  to  ehoose 
for  themselves,  ami  when  they  eomo  to  years  of  under 
standing  they  will  ehoose  right. 

"  But  the  wisdom  that  is  tYom^ifow  saitli,  'Train 
up  a  ehild  in  the  way  ho  should  go.'  "Peach  the.e 
things  diligently  to  thy  children,  when  tliou  sittest  in 
the  house,  and  when  thou  walkest  by  tho  way ;  when 
thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou  risost  up.'  'SuiVer 
little  children  to  come  unto  me.'  'Train  them  up  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.' 

"In  yonder  distant  country  was  a  little  feeble  band 
inspired  with  love  to  Christ,  who  covenanted  to  edu 
cate  their  children  for  him.  Not  able  to  do  it  accord 
ing  to  his  word  and  the  dictates  of  their  consciences 
in  their  own  land,  they  escape  under  the  cover  of 
night,  with  their  little  ones,  to  a  foreign  clime.  Hut 
their  children  still  exposed,  they  embark  upon  tho 
ocean  with  no  protector  but  their  covenant  God. 
And  though  tho  very  elements  soom  to  join  with  earth 
and  hell  to  oppose  them,  borne  in  his  arms,  1  see  them 
approaching,  till  they  enter  yonder  haven,  and  stand 
upon  a  rocA'.*  And  though  winter  and  famine  and 
pestilence  attack  them,  and  cut  down  half  their  num 
bers,  around  them  I  see  the  arms  of  the  everlasting 
covenant,  within  them  the  Shokinah,  and  hear  a  voice 
saying,  'Leave  your  fatherless  children,  and  let  your 
widows  trust  in  me.'  '1  will  never  leave  nor  forsake 
'thee ;'  and  'they  that  seek  the  Lord  shall  not  want 
any  good  thing.'  They  hearken,  and  lo,  they  '  break 
forth  on  the  right  hand,  and  extend  themselves  on  the 
*  At  Plymouth,  whore  the  sermon  WHS  pmu-luxl. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  171 

left ;'  l  a  little  one  becomes  a  thousand,  and  a  small 
one  a  strong  nation.'  They  spread  from  sea  to  sea, 
and  *  he  is  a  God  to  them,  and  their  children  after 
them,  from  generation  to  generation  ;'  '  keeping  cove 
nant  and  mercy  to  thousands  of  them  that  love  him, 
and  obey  his  commandments.' 

"  The  church  of  the  living  God  supports  this  truth, 
by  extending  it  to  the  destitute.  Ever  since  Jesus  Christ 
gave  the  command,  '  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature/  the  church  has 
acknowledged  her  obligations  to  obey.  And  she  has 
prayed  that  she  might  fulfil  them.  For  a  time  her 
efforts,  in  some  measure,  corresponded  with  her  pray 
ers.  Her  missionaries  were  found  in  various  lands. 
Trophies  of  grace  were  multiplied ;  churches  were 
gathered  from  among  the  heathen ;  and  the  gospel 
seemed  ready  to  be  extended  through  the  world. 

"  But  the  church,  which  was  to  be  the  instrument 
of  this,  elated  by  prosperity,  became  corrupt  in  doc 
trine.  The  consequence  was,  she  became  corrupt  in 
practice.  Her  prayers  grew  formal,  her  efforts  were 
palsied,  and  the  progress  of  truth  ceased.  The  dark 
ness  which  she  had  rolled  back,  now  began  to  return  ; 
the  smoke,  and  the  locusts  from  the  bottomless  pit 
overshadowed ;  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  came 
upon  her ;  and  she  had  to  struggle  even  for  existence, 
a  thousand  years.  Some,  however,  among  her  chil 
dren  sighed  over  her  abominations,  and  bewailed  her 
calamities.  With  the  souls  under  the  altar,  they  cried 
without  ceasing,  '  Lord,  how  long?'  And  he  who  had 
promised  that  the  gates  of  hell  should  not  prevail, 
heard.  He  arose,  light  broke  in,  and  Zion  'looked 


172  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

forth  as  the  morning,  beautiful  as  Tirzah,  and  comely 
as  Jerusalem.'  But  she  again  slumbered;  and,  for 
two  hundred  years,  did  little  more  than  maintain  the 
truth  within  her  own  borders.  Yet  all  that  time  she 
acknowledged  her  obligations  to  extend  it  to  every 
creature.  She  constantly  prayed,  that  '  the  heathen 
might  be  given  to  Christ  for  his  inheritance,  and  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  his  possession.'  But, 
shameful  to  relate,  with  the  exception  of  her  Eliots, 
her  Brainerds,  and  a  few  kindred  spirits,  she  did  next 
to  nothing,  that  her  own  prayers  might  be  answered. 
The  consequence  was,  the  truth  which  she  supported, 
and  which  is  destined  in  its  progress  to  enlighten  and 
renovate  the  world,  was  confined  within  the  limits  of 
Christendom.  Five  hundred  millions  of  the  human 
family,  eighteen  hundred  years  after  Christ  died  to 
redeem  them,  had  never  heard  of  it.  Fifty  genera 
tions  of  immortal  souls  in  danger  of  eternal  death, 
were  suffered  to  go  down  in  unbroken  succession 
to  the  grave,  and  never  even  to  hear  that  *  God  was 
manifest  in  the  flesh,' -till  their  probation  was  closed, 
and  their  accounts  sealed  up  to  the  judgment. 

"  0,  had  not  her  Saviour  been  God,  long  ere  this 
the  church  had  been  consumed !  She  had  been  swept 
away,  and  her  name  blotted  out.  But '  glory  to  God 
in  the  highest,'  her  Maker  is  '  her  husband,  the  LORD 
of  hosts  is  his  name.'  '  The  Holy  One  is  her  Re 
deemer,  the  God  of  the  whole  earth  shall  he  be  called.' 

"  By  a  convulsion  which  shook  half  the  globe,  he 
awoke  her  from  her  slumbers — by  the  finger  of  his 
providence  pointed  her  to  her  duty.  By  his  Spirit 
he  impressed  upon  her  heart  that  she  must  not  only 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  173 

pray  that  the  heathen  may  be  converted,  but  give 
them  the  Bible,  and  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  that 
her  prayers  may  be  answered. 

"She  arose  not  only  to  pray,  but  to  act;  and  from 
that  time  she  has  '  lengthened  her  cords,  and  strength 
ened  her  stakes.'  More  than  four  hundred  of  her  mis 
sionaries  are  now  among  the  heathen ;  and  more  than 
two  hundred  churches  has  she  gathered  in  pagan 
lands.  More  than  fifty  thousand  children  are  now  in 
her  missionary  schools ;  and  more  than  fifty  of  her 
ministers,  who,  thirty  years  ago,  were  abominable 
idolaters,  are  now  preaching  '  the  unsearchable  riches 
of  Christ.7  Ministers  born  in  pagan  lands,  and  min 
isters  born  in  Christian  lands,  are  now  telling  the 
wandering  idolaters  of  a  Saviour,  '  God  manifest  in 
the  flesh.'  And  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heav 
en  is  leading  them  to  embrace  him.  You  may  hear 
his  praises  in  the  western  wilderness ;  in  the  islands 
of  the  southern  sea  ;  for  a  thousand  miles  on  the  con 
tinent  of  Africa ;  in  Ceylon,  and  India ;  in  Astra- 
chan,  and  Greenland.  Hearken,  my  brethren,  and 
you  hear  the  Cherokee  and  Choctaw,  the  Hottentot 
and  Hindoo,  the  Greenlander  and  Otaheitan,  all 
mingling  their  praises  '  unto  Him  that  loved  us,  and 
washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  blood,  and  hath  made 
us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father ;  to  Him 
be  glory  and  dominion,  for  ever  and  ever.' 

"  And  every  real  convert  to  Christ  from  among 
the  heathen,  is  a  new  accession  to  the  'pillar  and 
ground  of  the  truth.'  From  the  heart  they  embrace 
the  '  great  mystery  of  godliness,'  and  unite  their  pray 
ers  and  efforts  to  support  it. 


174  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

"  By  sending  the  gospel  to  the  destitute,  the  church 
also  supports  the  truth  in  another  way.  She  lets  the 
light  of  holiness  shine  on  those  at  home,  and  thus 
leads  them  to  glorify  her  Father.  While  she  waters 
others,  God  waters  her.  For  every  measure  which 
she  gives,  she  receives  'good  measure,  pressed  down, 
and  running  over.7  The  more  she  scatters,  the  more 
she  increases. 

"As  soon  as  she  began  to  send  the  blessings  of  sal 
vation  beyond  her  own  borders,  God  began  to  increase 
her  numbers,  multiply  her  resources,  and  augment  her 
strength.  And  these  have  been  steadily  advancing, 
with  every  new  effort  which  she  has  made,  until,  with 
out  lessening  their  increase,  she  can  stretch  out  her 
arms,  with  the  blessings  of  life,  half  round  the  globe. 
And  what  she  has  done,  is  only  the  beginning  of  what 
she  will  do.  '  For  brass  she  will  bring  gold ;  for  iron, 
silver  ;  for  wood,  brass ;  and  for  stones,  iron.'  The 
bells  of  her  horses  shall  be  holiness ;  her  very  walls 
be  salvation,  and  her  gates  praise.  Then  shall  God, 
who  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,  be  known,  from  the 
rising  to  the  setting  sun,  and  the  whole  earth  be  filled 
with  his  glory,  as  the  waters  fill  the  seas.  Hence,  we 
are  prepared  to  see 

"  The  REASONS  why  the  church  supports  this  truth. 
It  is  the  truth  of  God.  By  an  unction  from  him,  she 
knows  it.  Upon  it  she  builds  her  immortal  hopes, 
and  it  is  the  only  foundation  of  hope  for  a  dying 
world.  In  its  support,  are  involved  the  glory  of 
God,  and  the  salvation  of  men.  His  manifestation 
in  the  flesh  was  the  grand  effort  of  infinite  grace,  for 
bringing  out  to  view  the  glories  of  the  Godhead.  It 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  175 

was  made  in  behalf  of  the  church.  And  should  she 
refuse  to  support  it,  the  very  stones  would  cry  out 
against  her.  To  it  she  owes  all  her  hopes  of  deliver 
ance  from  hell,  and  of  exaltation  to  the  light  and 
bliss  of  heaven. 

"  Reject  universally  the  great  mystery  of  godli 
ness,  and  godliness  will  take  its  last  flight  from  the 
world.  No  shaking  after  that  will  ever  be  witnessed 
throughout  all  this  valley  of  dry  bones — no  voice 
cry,  0  breath,  breathe  upon  these  slain ;  and  no 
heart  desire  it. 

"But  let  the  great  mystery  of  godliness  be  sup 
ported,  let  it  be  extended,  accompanied  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  cordially  embraced,  tears  of  repentance, 
in  view  of  the  Crucified,  will  drop  from  a  thousand 
eyes,  and  ten  thousand  hearts  will  bow  in  contrition 
before  the  cross.  The  love  of  Him  who  bled  upon  it, 
shed  abroad  in  their  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  will 
constrain  them,  and  will  purify  them,  even  as  God  is 
pure.  From  this  will  arise  a  hope  which  will  not 
make  ashamed,  but  which  will  be  an  anchor  to  the 
soul,  sure  and  steadfast.  It  will  support  them  even 
in  death.  Thousands  have  tried  it,  and  not  one  has 
found  it  to  fail  them.  As  they  go  down  the  dark  val 
ley,  I  hear  them  sing,  '  0  death,  where  is  thy  sting  ?  0 
grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?'  and  shout,  *  Thanks  be 
to  God,  who  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.7  l  We  shall  see  him  as  he  is,  and  be 
like  him.'  Ah,  that  last,  'be  like  himj  swallows  up 
death — and  they  mount  upward,  shining  in  the  glory 
of  his  image,  and  break  forth  with  ten  thousand  voices, 
'  Thou  art  worthy,  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  re- 


176  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

deemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood,  out  of  every  nation, 
and  kindred,  and  people,  and  tongue ;'  while  angels, 
ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand,  and  thousands  of 
thousands,  cry,  '  Worthy,  to  receive  power,  and  riches, 
and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and 
blessing.'  And  every  creature  in  heaven,  on  earth/ 
and  under  the  earth,  hear  I  saying,  'Blessing,  and 
honor,  and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto  Him  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb,  for  ever  and 
ever.'  And  their  song  never  wears  out,  never  grows 
dull,  no  heart  is  languid,  not  a  voice  falters,  not  a 
tongue  tires  ;  but  with  increasing  ardor,  and  increas 
ing  powers,  and  ever-growing  views  of  God  mani 
fest  in  the  flesh,  their  accents  of  glory  rise  higher  and 
higher,  and  to  every  heart  grow  sweeter  and  sweeter, 
to  endless  ages." 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  177 


CHAPTER    V. 

HIS    MINISTRY   IN   ANDOVER— CONTINUED. 

LAST    THREE   YEARS,   1824-1827. 

IN  addition  to  the  efficient  system  of  Sabbath-school 
instruction,  and  the  other  various  means  employed  for 
the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  people,  he  established,  in 
October,  1823,  a  female  Bible-class,  which  at  length  had 
no  less  than  one  hundred  and  sixty  members,  and  which, 
though  it  added  to  his  labors,  proved  to  be  one  of  the 
most  efficient  means  of  his  usefulness.  This  had  be 
come  so  apparent  that,  in  November,  1824,  he  was 
induced  also  to  form  a  Bible-class  of  males,  in  which  his 
instructions  awakened  so  deep  an  interest,  that  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  from  youth  to  advanced 
years,  became  stated  attendants. 

No  part  of  his  ministerial  labors  seems  to  have 
been  more  evidently  productive  of  spiritual  good,  than 
these  two  Bible-classes.  He  here  witnessed  the  power 
of  the  simple  truth  of  God's  word,  prayerfully  studied 
and  understood,  and  made  effectual  by  the  accompa 
nying  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  the  salvation  of 
many  souls.  Some  of  his  preparations  for  successive 
meetings  of  these  classes,  in  the  Gospels  and.  the  Acts, 
remain;  their  general  character  resembling  that  of 
his  more  condensed  notes  and  instructions  in  his  valu 
able  comment.  We  find  also  a  little  hand-book,  con 
taining  alphabetical  lists  of  both  classes,  and  what  is 
8* 


178  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

more  interesting,  a  list  of  those  who  from  time  to  time 
had  called  on  him  for  personal  conversation  on  the  state 
of  their  souls,  the  number  of  whom  is  no  less  than  one 
hundred  and  six;  and  also  a  list  of  persons  who 
had  commenced  family  worship,  to  the  number  of 
thirty-one. 

To   a  brother  of  Mrs.   Edwards. 

"ANDOVEE,  July  6, 1824 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER — Yours,  enclosing  $20, 1  re 
ceived  yesterday.  I  have  directed  the  agent  to  put 
you  up  a  box  of  Tracts,  and  send  them  to  the  deposi 
tory  in  Hartford,  directed  to  you. 

"  I  am  glad  that  you  have  formed  an  Auxiliary 
Society.  All  that  is  worth  living  for  is  to  glorify  God, 
and  to  do  good  to  all  as  we  have  opportunity,  and  es 
pecially  to  the  household  of  faith.  I  hope  that  you 
will  make  it  your  single  object  to  inquire,  'Lord,  what 
wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?'  And  to  answer  this  ques 
tion,  you  have  only  to  ascertain  what  He  commands ; 
and  when  you  know  this,  let  it  be  the  single  object 
of  your  heart  to  do  it.  Be  not  afraid  or  ashamed  to 
be  openly  for  God  in  all  places,  and  at  all  times,  and 
you  will  find  that  as  your  day  is,  so  your  strength  will 
be.  It  is  perfectly  safe  to  trust  in  God,  and  go  for 
ward  in  the  path  of  duty.  And  there  is  no  other  way 
to  enjoy  the  light  of  his  countenance,  and  experience 
the  blessings  of  his  salvation.  God  meets  men  and 
manifests  himself  to  them  when  striving  in  all  things 
to  obey  him,  and  not  while  they  are  letting  a  sense 
of  unworthiness,  or  any  thing  else,  hinder  them  from 
doing  this." 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  179 

To  the  same. 

"ANDOVER,  Aug.  18, 1824. 

"Mr  DEAR  BROTHER — Things  are  in  an  encourag 
ing  state  in  Reading,  and  also  in  this  place.  A  num 
ber  will  probably  make  a  profession  here  at  the  next 
communion. 

"All  who  have  determined  to  make  it  the  great 
object  of  living  to  serve  Christ,  and  to  do  good,  ought 
to  acknowledge  him  before  men.  They  ought  to  let 
neither  their  own  unworthiness,  nor  the  fear  that  they 
shall  not  live  as  they  ought,  nor  any  thing  else,  hinder 
them  from  doing  this  in  remembrance  of  Christ.  The 
reason  is,  Christ  has  commanded  them  to  do  it ;  and 
the  only  course  of  duty,  or  of  safety,  is  in  all  things 
to  obey  him.  God  does  not  manifest  his  presence 
much,  even  to  his  own  children,  while  they  continue 
to  neglect  any  of  his  known  commands ;  but  when 
they  make  it  their  great  object,  in  all  things,  to  do 
them.  'Then  shall  I  not  be  ashamed,  when  I  have 
respect  to  all  thy  commandments.' 

"It  appears  to  me  that  if  you  should  acknowledge 
Christ  before  men,  pray  daily  with  your  family,  (un 
less  your  father  is  willing  to  pray  in  it,)  and  take  a 
part  occasionally  in  conference-meetings,  if  God  seems 
to  call  you  to  it,  it  would  be  greatly  for  the  benefit  of 
your  soul,  pleasing  to  God,  and  useful  to  the  souls  of 
others.  We  know  not  how  long  we  shall  be  permit 
ted  to  act  in  this  world,  and  we  ought,  without  delay, 
to  be  setting  such  an  example  as  will  testify  for  Christ 
when  we  are  in  the  grave.  God  has  done  a  great  deal 
for  you  and  your  father's  house,  and  he  ought  daily, 
not  only  in  secret,  but  in  the  family,  to  be  worshipped 


180  HEV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

in  that  house.  It  might,  nay,  there  is  great  reason  to 
hope  that  it  would  be,  the  means  of  salvation  to  all 
the  members  of  the  family. 

"  My  brother,  it  is  high  time  for  us  to  live  in  ear 
nest  for  eternity.  Great  things  are  depending.  Let 
us  strive  in  all  things  to  be  faithful,  and  great  will  be 
our  reward.  'Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will 
give  thee  a  crown  of  life.'  That  we  may  know  what 
this  means  by  experience,  is  the  prayer  of 
"Your  unworthy  brother, 

«J.  EDWARDS." 

To   a  sister   of  Mrs.   Edwards. 

"ANDOVER,  Aug.  18, 1824. 

"Mr  DEAR  SISTER  ANN — I  learn  from  your  letter  to 
Mrs.  E.,  that  brother  G.  and  some  of  the  family  go  up 
stairs  frequently  and  unite  in  prayer.  Why,  my  dear 
sister,  go  up  stairs  ?  God  has  done  wonders  of  grace 
for  your  father's  family,  and  why  not  worship  him 
daily  in  the  family  below  ?  I  think  that  if  your  father, 
or  if  he  is  not  willing  to  lead,  if  brother  G.  should 
daily  pray  with  as  many  of  the  family  as  are  disposed  to 
attend,  it  would  be  pleasing  to  God,  and  highly  useful 
to  men.  In  a  family  to  which  God  has  been  so  kind 
as  he  has  to  that  of  your  beloved  father,  how  suitable, 
how  strong  the  obligation,  for  the  whole  family  daily, 
and  unitedly,  to  acknowledge  it.  It  might  be  the 
means  of  the  conversion  of  all  who  are  now  uncon 
verted. 

"It  is  always  safe  openly  to  acknowledge  God, 
and  it  is  a  peculiar  duty  thus  to  acknowledge  him 
daily  in  every  family.  More  than  twenty  families 
have  set  up  the  daily  worship  of  God  in  this  place, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  181 

since  the  beginning  of  the  year ;  and  in  several  cases 
there  is  reason  to  hope  that  it  has  had  an  influence  in 
the  salvation  of  souls. 

"  In  a  town  in ,  a  few  years  ago,  the  Lord 

sent  down  his  Spirit,  and  led  a  number  of  persons  to 
embrace  the  Saviour.  Among  them  was  one  young 
man  whose  father  had  never  prayed  in  his  family. 
After  the  son  became  pious,  he  said  to  his  father  in 
the  field  one  day,  'Father,  we  ought  to  have  prayer 
in  the  family/  Said  the  father,  '  I  know  it.7  '  Well/ 
said  the  son,  '  why  do  you  not  pray  ?'  '  Ah/  said  the 
father,  'I  have  no  heart  to  pray.'  'Well/  said  the 
son,  '  are  you  willing  that  I  should  pray  ?  We  ought 
to  have  prayer  in  the  family.7  And  said  the  father, 
'Yes,  with  all  my  heart/  So  the  next  night  they 
had,  for  the  first  time,  family  prayer.  And  they  con 
tinued,  morning  and  evening,  reading  the  Bible  and 
uniting  as  a  family  in  prayer,  until,  in  the  course  of  a 
little  time,  the  father  hoped  that  through  wonders  of 
grace  in  Christ  Jesus,  he  had  obtained  that  inesti 
mable  blessing,  a  heart  to  pray ;  and  then  the  father 
used  to  pray  in  the  morning,  and  the  son  at  night. 
Thus  they  were  mutual  helpers  of  each  other  in  the 
road  to  heaven.  And  when  they  arrive  there,  may 
not  that  son  say,  '  Here,  Lord,  am  I,  and  the  father 
whom  thou  hast  given  me  ?' " 

At  a  later  date,  he  writes,  "Tell  brother  G 

to  'trust  in  the  Lord,  and  do  good,  and  verily  he 
shall  be  fed/  Who  ever  trusted  in  him,  and 'was 
disappointed  ?  '  They  that  wait  upon  the  Lord,  shall 
renew  their  strength/  It  is  wise,  and  safe,  to  leave 
all  things  to  his  infinitely  wise  guidance  and  disposal. 


182  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

He  can  give  us,  and  preserve  to  us  as  much  charac 
ter  and  ability  for  usefulness,  as  he  sees  it  best  for 
us  to  have  ;  and  when  precious  interests  seem  to  be  in 
danger,  he  can  easily  shield  them.  He  says  to  us, 
'You  do  those  things  which  are  plain,  and  see  how 
easily,  how  wisely,  and  how  benevolently  I  can  di 
rect  those  that  are  difficult,  and  to  you  impossible.' 
'  Cast  thy  burden  on  the  Lord,  and  he  will  sustain 
thee.'  He  loves  the  church  better  than  we  do,  and 
his  way  to  promote  her  welfare  is  better  than  ours. 
It  is  good  both  to  hope  and  to  wait  for  the  salvation 
of  the  Lord.  Never  say, '  All  these  things  are  against 
me  ;'  because,  if  you  love  God  and  serve  him,  it  is 
not  true.  '  In  all  thy  ways  acknowledge  him,  and  he 
shall  direct  thy  paths.' " 

The  doubts  and  darkness  in  this  dear  brother's 
mind  were  ere  long  succeeded  by  an  humble  trust  in 
Christ.  He  was  enabled  to  erect  the  family  altar, 
the  fire  of  which,  for  a  long  course  of  years,  has  not 
ceased  to  burn. 

In  the  autumn  of  1824,  negotiations  were  entered 
into  between  the  "  New  England  Tract  Society,"  which 
had  already  changed  its  name  to  the  "  American  Tract 
Society.'''  of  which  Dr.  Edwards  was  Corresponding 
Secretary,  and  the  "  Religious  Tract  Society  in  New 
York,"  for  forming  a  more  truly  national  institution, 
to  unite  the  principal  Tract  Societies  of  the  country 
and  Christians  of  various  evangelical  denominations, 
and  to  be  located  in  Boston,  or  New  York,  as  a  suit 
able  commercial  centre.  The  raising  in  New  York  of 
$20,000,  which  was  soon  increased  to  $25,000,  to  erect 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  183 

a  house  for  the  new  Society,  with  other  considerations, 
after  many  conferences  and  much  deliberation,  led  to 
a  harmonious  union  in  the  American  Tract  Society, 
formed  in  that  city,  May  11,  1825,  as  the  principal 
publishing  institution.  The  American  Tract  Society 
at  Boston,  whose  business  had  been  mainly  conducted 
at  Andover,  became  a  Branch  of  the  national  Society  ; 
but  still  retained  its  name  and  distinct  organization, 
and  greatly  enlarged  its  operations.  Its  stereotype 
plates  and  engravings  were  transferred  to  New  York  • 
and  as  a  bond  of  union,  Dr.  Edwards,  who  had  had  the 
primary  responsibility  of  the  issues  at  Boston,  was 
unanimously  elected  on  the  Publishing  Committee  at 
New  York,  and  all  the  publications  continued  to  be 
issued  with  his  sanction,  in  which  for  some  time  he  had 
the  concurrence  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  "Woods,  of  the  Com 
mittee  at  Andover,  who  had  taken  a  kind  and  active 
part  in  the  negotiations,  and  was,  from  the  formation 
of  the  Society  in  New  York,  till  his  death,  one  of  its 
honored  Vice-presidents.  The  Eev.  Dr.  Edwards,  at 
the  time  of  his  decease,  was  a  member  of  the  Publish 
ing  Committee  of  the  Society  in  New  York  ;  and  the 
two  institutions  have  continued  the  most  harmonious 
cooperation ;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Nehemiah  Adams  of  the 
Committee  of  the  Society  in  Boston,  succeeding  Dr. 
Edwards  as  a  member  of  ttie  Publishing  Committee  in 
New  York. 

In  the  two  years  following  the  formation  of  the 
American  Tract  Society  in  New  York,  Dr.  Edwards 
performed  an  invaluable  service  in  revising  and  ad 
justing  the  new  series  of  tracts,  in  connection  with 
the  members  elected  in  that  city,  the  object  of  all  the 


184  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,  D.D. 

members  having  been  found  to  be  one  and  the  same, 
to  preach  "  Christ  crucified "  for  the  salvation  of  a 
perishing  world. 

The  Publishing  Committee,  July  1825,  requested 
Dr.  Edwards  to  prepare  a  tract  "  On  the  Divinity  of 
our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,"  which  they  be 
lieved  might  be  eminently  useful  among  the  first  pub 
lications  issued ;  but  the  multitude  of  his  engagements 
did  not  allow  him  to  prepare  it. 

'    To   his   sister,   Mrs.    Cook,   in  Ohio. 

"ANDOVEK,  July  12, 1825. 

"DEAR  BROTHER  AND  SISTER  COOK — I  hope  that 
sister  Cook  is  better,  and  may  yet  be  restored  if  it  is 
the  Lord's  will.  Trials,  in  this  world,  we  must  expect ; 
and  it  should  be  our  daily  fervent  prayer,  that  they 
may  lead  our  hearts  to  God.  Our  great  business 
should  be,  to  serve  him,  in  the  places  in  which  he  has 
put  us,  and  then  we  shall  not,  in  the  end,  want  any 
good  thing.  In  no  other  way  can  we  ever  be  happy 
in  this  life,  or  in  the  life  to  come.  His  favor  is  life, 
and  his  loving-kindness  is  better  than  life.  Jesus 
Christ  is  able  and  willing  to  be  a  very  present  help 
in  all  times  of  trouble,  to  those  that  put  their  trust  in 
him.  I  hope  that  you  find  him  to  be  a  very  present 
helper  to  you,  and  to  yours,  in  all  your  wants. 

"  Though  we  are  separated  by  a  long  distance,  and 
may  never  see  each  other  in  this  world,  it  is  but  a 
short  time  that  we  shall  any  of  us  live  here,  and  if  we 
love  God,  trust  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  delight  to  do  his 
will,  we  shall  shortly  meet  in  heaven,  to  part  no  more 
for  ever;  but  0,  how  dreadful  would  it  be,  if  we 
should  there  be  separated,  to  meet  no  more.  Lord, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  185 

search  us,  and  try  us ;  see,  and  show  us,  if  there  be 
any  wicked  way  in  us,  and  lead  us  in  the  way  ever 
lasting. 

"It  is  with  us  a  very  fruitful  season,  and  some 
drops  of  spiritual  rain  are  descending ;  about  eighty 
have  been  added  to  our  church,  since  the  beginning  of 
last  year.  I  send  you  ten  dollars,  with  my  best  wishes 
for  your  present  and  future  welfare,  and  remain 
"  Your  affectionate  brother, 

«J.  EDWARDS." 

To  Rev.  Win.  A.    Hallock,   Secretary   American  Tract 
Society,  New  York. 

"ANDOVER,  June  22, 1825. 

"MY  DEAR  BROTHER — Yours  of  the  eleventh  in 
stant  was  duly  received.  I  have  read  the  address  of 
the  Committee  with  high  satisfaction.  I  would  not 
suggest  any  alteration.  So  far  as  I  can  judge,  the 
indications  of  Providence  with  regard  to  the  Tract 
cause  are  highly  encouraging  ;  and  seem  to  call  upon 
all  connected  with  it,  especially  upon  those  intrusted 
with  its  management,  to  walk  softly,  uprightly,  briskly, 
and  perseveringly.  I  have  no  doubt  that  then,  if  they 
continue  to  look  upward,  they  will  walk  safely. 

"  Would  it  not  be  well  for  you  to  suggest  to  Con 
necticut  the  expediency  of  their  becoming  a  branch  of 
the  national  institution.  They  would  receive  their 
tracts  and  their  magazine  much  more  economically 
from  New  York,  than  from  Boston. 

"  Would  it  not  be  well,  to  have  a  first-rate  agent 
stationed  at  New  Orleans ;  to  spend  the  winter  there, 
with  an  overflowing  depository,  and  the  summer  in 
traversing  the  country  west  of  the  Alleghanies,  to 


186  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

open  the  way  for  tracts  to  come  into  every  village 
and  family,  and  to  keep  them  in  brisk  circulation. 
Such  an  agent  might  circulate  an  immense  number  of 
bound  volumes,  obtain  life  members,  etc.  I  have 
mentioned  this  to  one  or  two  gentlemen  from  the 
West,  who  were  delighted  with  it.  Said  one  from 
Kentucky  to  me  the  other  day,  'Your  Tract  system, 
if  carried  forward  with  energy,  will  be  the  salvation 
of  the  western  country.' 

u  I  hope  that  the  Lord  will  give  wisdom  to  you 
and  to  the  dear  brethren  with  whom  you  are  associ 
ated,  and  strength  according  to  your  day ;  and  if 
from  love  to  him,  you  meet  the  openings  of  His  provi 
dence,  and  persevere  in  following  it  to  the  end,  I 
have  no  doubt  that,  for  all  your  anxieties  and  labors, 
you  will  receive  a  reward  as  great  as  you  can  desire. 
With  Christian  salutations  to  all  the  brethren, 
"  I  remain  most  affectionately  yours, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

To   the  same  . 

"  ANDOVER,  July  23, 1825. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR — 'Yours  of  the  eighteenth  instant 
containing  the  proposed  alterations  in  the  first  fifteen 
tracts,  came  to  hand  yesterday.  I  make  no  objections 
to  the  proposed  alterations.  Dr.  Woods  makes  none. 
I  have  communicated  to  him  all  that  you  wished  con 
cerning  the  stereotype  plates,  etc. 

"  On  the  subject  of  an  agent,  Mr.  G is  doing, 

I  believe,  what  he  can.  I  will  also  do  what  I  can. 
Two  or  three  are  considering  the  subject,  but  no  one 
is  engaged.  It  is  not  easy  to  find  the  men  and  per 
suade  them  to  engage.  We  must  look  to  God  to  fur- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  187 

nish  us  with  men,  with  money,  with  tracts,  and  with 
every  good  and  perfect  gift,  while  we  must  neglect 
no  means  in  our  power  to  obtain  them;  and  if  our 
plans  are  essential  to  the  prosperity  of  his  kingdom, 
or  will  promote  it,  they  will  no  doubt  succeed,  and 
in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it  manifest  that  to  God 
belongs  all  the  glory. 

"With  my  best  wishes  that  the  blessing  of  the 
Lord  may  rest  upon  you,  and  upon  the  gentlemen  of 
the  Committee,  and  all  with  whom  you  and  they  are 
associated, 

"  I  remain,  very  affectionately,  yours,. 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

In  the  examination  of  tracts  and  books,  Dr.  Ed 
wards  felt  a  sacred  responsibility  that  all  instructions 
as  to  the  sinner's  salvation  should  be  in  strict  accord 
ance  with  the  word  of  God,  that  no  soul  might  be 
misled,  and  perhaps  perish,  through  erroneous  or  de 
fective  teachings  going  forth  with  the  Society's  sanc 
tion.  He  well  knew  the  lurking  places  of  error,  and 
how  ready  the  human  heart  is  to  seize  upon  some 
thing  short  of  a  living  faith  in  Christ,  through  the 
sanctifying  influences  of  the  Spirit,  as  acceptable  to 
God.  He  had  been  accustomed  to  weigh  and  guard 
his  own  instructions  as  to  the  way  of  life,  and  show 
that  no  mere  external  observances  whatever,  without 
genuine  repentance,  humility,  faith,  and  love,  can  be 
acceptable  to  God.  He  writes,  "I  think  we  ought  to 
be  exceedingly  cautious  about  saying  that  the  charac 
ters  described  are  pious,  unless  the  evidence  is  very 
decisive  ;  and  then  some  qualifying  word,  such  as,  we 
trust,  or  hopefully,  or  apparently,  might  be  thrown  in, 


188  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

with  safety  and  to  advantage."  In  his  report  on  a 
long  manuscript  from  a  worthy  writer,  submitted  for 
a  tract,  he  shows  his  high  estimate  of  the  merit  which 
every  tract  should  possess,  and  his  fidelity  in  declin 
ing  to  sanction  what  he  did  not  judge  to  be  of  true 
permanent  value.  "The  thoughts,"  he  says,  "  are  not 
sufficiently  dense  to  be  either  heavy,  or  hot ;  and  the 
language  is  not  sufficiently  definite,  concise,  or  select. 
The  figures  could  not  all  be  painted  without  exhibit 
ing  some  incongruities.  Yet  the  subject  is  important, 
and  the  spirit  excellent."  Again  he  says  of  a  tract 
on  gaming,  "  The  facts  are  the  best  part  of  it.  The 
rest  of  it  wants  the  unction  of  the  gospel.  Had  it 
been  written  by  Baxter,  it  would  have  been  a  truly 
valuable  tract." 

All  the  influence  exerted  by  Dr.  Edwards,  from 
first  to  last,  to  give  the  American  Tract  Society  its 
present,  and  we  hope  permanent,  evangelical  charac 
ter  will  doubtless  be  fully  known  and  revealed  in  the 
final  day. 

To  Rev.  Wm.   A.   Hallock,   Secretary,  New  York. 
"ANDOVER,  August  28, 1825. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR — I  rejoice  to  hear  of  the  movement 
in  the  United  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society  towards 
a  union  with  the  American  Board  for  Foreign  Mis 
sions.  There  is  scarcely  any  thing  which  I  more 
ardently  wish,  than  Christian  union  among  all  good 
men.  It  was  an  object  so  dear  to  Jesus  Christ,  that 
he  bore  it  on  his  heart  in  prospect  of  his  own  death, 
and  earnestly  prayed  for  it.  And  it  would  no  doubt 
greatly  promote  his  cause,  to  have  them  all  receive 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  189 

one  another   as  he  receives  them.     Then,  union  in 
effort  will  vastly  increase  their  strength. 

"  Would  it  not  be  well  to  have  the  American  Sun 
day-school  Union  become  the  American  Sabbath-school 
and  Bible-class  Union?  Then  all  the  state  auxiliaries 
might  become  Sabbath-school  and  Bible-class  auxil 
iaries,  which  would  probably  increase  the  number 
and  usefulness  of  both.  These  two  most  important 
branches  of  benevolent  operation  are  too  closely  allied 
to  form  two  separate  systems ;  one  being  in  fact  only 
a  continuation  of  the  other. 

"  Our  benevolent  operations  should  combine  and 
consolidate  as  much  as  possible,  and  yet  be  simpk  ;  and 
then,  if  they  are  impelled  by  love  and  guided  by  prayer 
and  continued  by  faith,  they  will  be  easily  managed 
and  become  mightily  efficacious. 

"  Yery  affectionately,  yours, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

September  22, 1825,  he  presented  to  his  people  the 
annual  report  of  the  organization  among  them  for 
"Doing  Good,"  as  he  had  done  annually  since  1814; 
not  only  presenting  the  results  among  themselves,  but 
spreading  before  them  the  wide-reaching  influence  of 
the  various  benevolent  institutions  they  aided,  in  our 
own  land  and  the  world.  In  this  report  he  gives  a 
summary  view  of  what,  in  eleven  years,  they  had  been 
enabled  to  accomplish. 

In  the  same  month  the  Boston  Recorder  reports  a 
brief,  glowing  address,  which  he  delivered  at  a  For 
eign  Missionary  meeting,  in  which  he  takes  the  most 
cheering  views  of  the  results  which  had  then  been 


190  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

witnessed  in  heathen  lands,  and  especially  at  the 
Sandwich  Islands. 

"  We  are  permitted,"  he  said,  "  to  witness  success — 
and  success  so  glorious,  that  it  has  already  been  cele 
brated  with  ecstasy  of  joy  by  every  being  in  the  uni 
verse  that  has  heard  of  it,  and  rejoices  over  him  that 
repenteth. 

"  It  is  but  a  few  years  since  the  present  system  of 
missionary  efforts  began.  Many  who  are  now  present 
can  remember  the  first  missionary  meeting,  the  first 
monthly  concert,  and  the  first  contribution,  in  the 
present  system  of  efforts  to  send  the  gospel  to  the 
heathen. 

"  Now  you  may  witness,  on  the  first  Monday  of 
every  month,  members  of  thousands  of  churches,  in 
countries  which  extend  half  round  the  globe,  assem 
bled  at  the  throne  of  mercy,  having  agreed  together 
touching  the  thing  that  they  should  ask,  and  uniting 
in  supplication  that  it  may  be  done  for  them.  And 
He  who  hath  said, '  Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given/  is  mani 
festing  his  faithfulness. 

"Even  now  you  may  witness  set  up  in  heathen 
countries  more  than  forty  printing-presses,  furnishing 
Bibles,  school-books,  religious  tracts,  and  various 
other  productions  for  the  literary,  moral,  and  relig 
ious  improvement  of  the  heathen  world. 

"On  distant  shores,  where  forty  years  ago  the 
name  of  Jesus  was  not  known,  I  can  show  you  every 
Sabbath  numerous  congregations,  averaging  more 
than  four  thousand  souls  each,  all  bowing  before 
Jehovah,  and  rendering  united  thanks  for  his  'un 
speakable  gift.'  In  that  small  portion  of  the  world, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER..  191 

you  may  count  not  less  than  fourteen  thousand  per 
sons  who  can  in  their  own  tongue  read  the  Bible ; 
and  more  than  seven  thousand  who  can  with  the  pen 
transact  the  ordinary  business  of  life. 

"  You  may  go  to  their  Sabbath-school,  and  there 
at  an  annual  meeting  witness  thousands  of  children. 
And  as  they  sing, '  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David/  you 
may  see  the  tear  drop  down  the  cheek  of  a  hundred 
parents,  as  their  hearts  swell  with  emotions  too  big 
for  utterance  in  view  of  what  the  gospel  has  done  for 
their  children.  And  as  you  hear  the  deep  groan 
break  through  the  assembly,  and  ask,  What  is  the  mat 
ter?  with  streaming  eyes  one  will  tell  you, '  0,  if  the 
missionaries  had  only  come  here  a  little  sooner,  I 
too  should  have  had  children  to  attend  the  Sabbath- 
school  ;  but  before  they  came,  when  Satan  reigned 
and  we  were  all  in  darkness,  I  killed  them.' 

"You  may  see  parents  around  the  communion 
table,  melting  in  contrition  at  the  dying  love  of 
Jesus ;  and  parents  too  who  have  with  their  own 
hands,  before  they  had  the  gospel,  killed  two,  three, 
and  in  some  cases,  four  of  their  own  children.  Now, 
were  they  living,  most  joyfully  would  they  lead  them 
to  Him  who  took  little  children  in  his  arms  and 
blessed  them,  and  said,  *  Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.'  You  may  go,  in  that  country,  to  a  mission 
ary  meeting  and  find  collected  together  seven  thou 
sand  people,  bearing  their  offerings  to  the  Lord  of 
hosts.  You  may  see  the  fond  parent  move  with  rapid 
step,  at  the  birth  of  his  infant,  to  enroll  his  name  as  a 
member  of  the  Missionary  Society.  'You,'  he  says, 
as  he  looks  on  his  offspring,  with  feelings  which  no 


192  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

parent  born  in  Christendom  ever  knew,  '  if  it  had  not 
been  for  the  gospel,  might  have  been  killed.  And  as 
the  gospel  saves  you,  it  is  no  more  than  right  that 
you  should  do  something  that  it  may  save  others/ 
And  very  careful  is  he  to  pay  the  child's  missionary 
tax  every  year,  until  the  child  is  old  enough  to  earn 
and  pay  it  himself. 

"  In  short,  sir,  there  is  throughout  that  country  a 
moral  renovation.  The  wilderness  and  solitary  places 
are  glad ;  the  desert  rejoices,  and  blossoms  as  the 
rose.  The  eyes  of  the  blind  are  opened,  and  the  ears 
of  the  deaf  unstopped  •  the  lame  man  leaps  as  a  hart, 
and  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  sings.  A  highway  is 
there, '  the  way  of  holiness  ;'  and  the  ransomed  of  the 
Lord  are  already  returning,  and  coming  home  to  Zion 
with  singing.  Joy  and  gladness  are  found  among 
them ;  while  sorrow  and  sighing  flee  away. 

"  Is  not  here  encouragement  to  go  forward,  to  per 
severe  with  increasing  diligence  to  the  end  ?  And  is 
there  not  encouragement  enough  to  persuade  every 
individual  to  do  this?  If  not,  I  can  show  you  three 
thousand  pupils  in  missionary  schools  among  our 
North  American  Indians,  three  thousand  in  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  and  twelve  thousand  in  islands 
farther  south.  I  can  show  you  three  thousand  in 
West  Africa,  and  four  thousand  in  South  Africa ; 
fifty  thousand  in  the  East  Indies,  and  not  a  smaller 
number  in  the  West  Indies.  Among  them  are  thou 
sands  of  females,  of  whom  Paganism  has  said,  and 
repeated  the  lie  a  thousand  times,  that  for  them  to 
learn  to  read  is  impossible,  because  they  have  no 
souls.  Now  they  are  by  thousands  in  missionary 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  193 

schools  ;  and  making  as  rapid  improvement,  consider 
ing  their  condition,  as  any  individuals  on  the  globe. 

"  Here,  then,  are  thousands  of  persons  who  are  to 
be  mothers,  and  tens  of  thousands  who  are  to  be  fa 
thers,  in  a  course  of  Christian  instruction ;  four  hundred 
and  fifty  ministers  of  the  gospel,  more  than  fifty  of 
whom  were  born  in  Pagan  lands,  now  proclaiming  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  Christ ;  two  hundred  and  fifty 
missionary  stations,  at  most  of  which  are  Christian 
churches  ;  and  tens  of  thousands  who  have  renounced 
their  idolatry  and  acknowledged  Jehovah  as  the  only 
living  and  true  God. 

"And  what  sacrifices  have  been  made,  by  the  in 
habitants  of  Christendom,  to  produce  this  mighty 
change?  Have  farmers  generally  given  their  farms, 
and  merchants  their  merchandise,  to  replenish  the 
treasury  of  the  Lord?  No.  Have  men  generally 
given  their  income,  above  the  needful  expenses  of 
their  families?  No.  Have  they  given  half,  or  even 
one  tenth  part?  No.  What  have  they  done?  If  all 
that  has  been  done  to  send  the  gospel  to  the  heathen, 
should  be  averaged  upon  the  individuals  in  Christen 
dom,  it  would  amount  to  about  one  half  cent  in  a 


year." 


December  18,  1825,  he  preached  before  the  Peni 
tent  Females'  Refuge  Society  in  Boston  the  sermon 
which  was  then  published,  and  the  substance  of  which 
was  soon  after  issued  at  New  York  as  tract  No.  178, 
"  Joy  in  Heaven  over  the  Penitent." 

About  this  time,  as  the  happy  results  of  the  in 
troduction  of  the  principle  of  total  abstinence  from 
ardent  spirits  in  a  large  farming  establishment,  (that 


194  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

of  S.  V.  S.  Wilder,  Esq.,  at  Bolton,  Massachusetts,) 
came  to  his  knowledge,  he  encouraged  the  careful  col 
lection  of  the  facts,  and  embodied  them  in  the  valu 
able  tract,  "  The  Well-conducted  Farm,"  No.  176  of 
the  series. 

In  January  and  February,  1826,  after  much  con 
sultation  with  the  worthy  friends  around  him,  he 
united  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Woods  and  fourteen  others, 
ministers  and  laymen,  in  forming,  in  Boston,  "  The 
American  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Temperance," 
more  fully  noticed  hereafter.  At  first  it  proceeded 
noiselessly,  employing  no  agent  till  the  succeeding 
year,  printing  no  report  till  December,  1829,  and 
electing  no  corresponding  secretary  till  May,  1831, 
when  Dr.  Edwards  was  appointed  to  that  office. 

Mr.  T ,  a  respected  merchant  of  Boston,  states 

that  when  Dr.  Edwards  and  Dr.  Woods  visited  Bos 
ton  to  propose  this  new  organization,  Mr.  T re 
plied,  that  "he  had  been  laboring  fifteen  years  to 
effect  a  temperance  reformation  by  the  moderate  use  j 
but  he  did  not  see  that  it  did  any  good,  and  he  was 
tired  of  the  whole  thing."  "  But,"  said  the  gentlemen 
who  called  on  him,  "we  have  a  new  idea.  Our  main 
object  is,  not  to  reform  inebriates,  but  to  induce  all 
temperate  people  to  continue  temperate  by  practising  total 
abstinence  :  the  drunkards,  if  not  reformed,  will  die, 
and  the  land  be  free."  "I  confess,"  said  the  mer 
chant,  "that  is  a  new  view  of  the  subject,  and  worth 
thinking  of.  If  you  see  best  to  call  a  meeting,  I  will 
attend  it."  He  did  so,  and  from  that  meeting  pro 
ceeded  the  American  Temperance  Society. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  195 

To   Rev.  Win.  A.   Hallock,   Secretary,   New  York. 
"ANDOVER,  February  10, 1826. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER — "We  are  at  present  fast  hold 
of  a  project  for  making  all  people  in  this  country, 
and  in  all  other  countries,  temperate ;  or  rather,  a 
plan  to  induce  those  that  are  now  temperate  to  continue 
so.  Then,  as  all  who  are  intemperate  will  soon  be 
dead,  the  earth  will  be  eased  of  an  amazing  evil. 
This,  you  will  see  at  once,  is  a  great  plan,  and  to  ex 
ecute  it  thoroughly  will  require  great  wisdom  and 
strength.  And  though  we  are  so  destitute,  the  Lord 
has  enough  of  both.  '  Of  his  fulness 7  may  we  all 
receive. 

"  I  hope  all  hearts  and  all  hands  in  New  York 
will  aid  in  forming  the  Domestic  Missionary  Society. 
I  believe  it  is  a  plan  that  meets  the  approbation,  and 
will  receive  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

"  The  pressure  to  attend  meeting  in  my  parish  has 
become  so  great,  and  the  number  of  people  who  wish 
for  this  privilege  so  much  larger  than  can  be  accom 
modated  in  our  house,  that  the  parish  last  Monday 
'  voted  to  erect  another  house  on  the  west  side  of  the  river; 
to  be  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  the  one  only  living 
and  true  God,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost.'  They  are  next  Monday  to  consider,  and  with 
the  leave  of  Providence,  decide  on  the  spot,  appoint 
their  building  committee,  etc.  I  ask  your  prayers 
and  the  prayers  of  all  good  people  that  this  subject, 
which  is  so  apt  to  cause  roots  of  bitterness  to  spring 
up  among  a  people,  may  here  promote  brotherly  har 
mony  and  love,  and  be  the  means  of  preparing  the 
multitudes  who  are  here  to  spend  their  day  of  grace, 


196  REV.   JUSTIN.  EDWARDS,   D.  D. 

for  the  kingdom  of  God.  We  greatly  need  the  di 
vine  presence  and  blessing.  Without  it  we  cannot 
succeed ;  no,  not  in  any  good  thing.  How  delight 
ful  that  Jehovah  has  all  hearts  in  his  hands,  and  can 
turn  them  as  the  rivers  of  water  are  turned.  And 
how  inexcusable  will  every  man  under  his  govern 
ment  be,  if  he  is  not  a  man  of  prayer,  of  faith,  of  deep 
humility,  holy  boldness,  and  of  vigorous,  untiring  de 
votion  to  his  service.  And  how  inexcusable  will 
every  man  be  if  he  does  not  have  great  wisdom,  since 
whenever  he  lacks  he  may  ask  of  God,  who  giveth 
liberally  and  upbraideth  not." 

He  adds,  March  3,  "A  Society  is  formed,  not  for 
the  suppression  of  intemperance,  but  for  the  promotion  of 
temperance.  It  is  on  the  plan  of  the  American  Board 
of  Commissioners,  and  is  designed  to  be  national.  It 
will  meet,  a  week  from  next  Monday,  for  the  election 
of  members  in  the  different  states.  The  Executive 
Committee  directed  me  to  request  you,  in  connection 
with  Dr.  Spring  and  such  other  brethren  as  you  may 
think  proper  to  consult,  to  inform  us  what  gentle 
men  in  New  York  and  vicinity,  or  in  the  state,  we 
can  elect  to  advantage  as  members.  We  want  holy 
men,  who  do  not  use  intoxicating  liquors,  unless  pre 
scribed  by  a  physician  as  a  medicine  :  and*  who  will 
be  willing  to  make  sacrifices,  and  perform  labors,  or 
give  money  to  induce  all  others  who  are  now  tem 
perate,  for  ever  to  continue  so.  If  all  temperate  men 
can  be  induced  to  continue  temperate,  all  drunkards 
will  soon  die,  and  the  land  be  eased  of  an  overwhelm 
ing  burden.  The  constitution  of  the  Society  we  shall 
give  you  shortly  ;  till  then  we  wish  nothing  published. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  197 

The  plan  is,  to  raise  a  fund  to  support  a  strong  man, 
who  shall  be  permanently  and  wholly  devoted  to  this 
object.  Will  you  please  inform  me,  as  soon  as  pos 
sible,  of  a  few  good  men  and  true,  who  may  to  advan 
tage  be  elected  at  the  next  meeting. 
"  Affectionately,  yours, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

Dr.  Edwards'  two  BIBLE-CLASSES,  of  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men  and  one  hundred  and  sixty 
women,  were  still  continued  with  most  cheering  evi 
dences  of  good.  Within  about  two  years  he  had  ad 
mitted  to  the  church  ninety-two,  as  giving  evidence  of 
faith  in  Christ  and  the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
fifty-nine  of  whom  were  heads  of  families,  and  thirty- 
seven  were  members  of  these  Bible-classes,  the  solem 
nity  and  interest  of  which  are  still  remembered  by 
many,  as  occasions  when  they  stood  on  the  very 
heights  of  Zion.  On  the  invitation  to  those  who 
wished  to  converse  with  him,  to  meet  him  at  his 
study  on  specified  evenings,  the  room  was  sometimes 
crowded  with  those  who,  conscious  of  their  sin  and 
ruin,  sought  his  prayers  and  counsel  and  guidance  in 
the  way  of  life. 

As  intelligence  of  these  Bible-classes  was  widely 
diffused  by  students  of  the  seminary  and  others,  Dr. 
Edwards  received  many  requests,  from  various  direc 
tions,  for  information  as  to  the  best  methods  of  con 
ducting  such  instructions,  which  led  him  to  preach  to 
the  students  of  the  seminary,  March  12,  1826,  a  dis 
course,  from  the  text,  "  Search  the  Scriptures,"  "  on 
the  manner  of  forming  and  conducting  Bible-classes" 
which,  at  their  request,  was  published.  He  says  : 


198  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

The  first  prerequisite  is  in  the  qualifications  of  the 
minister.  "  Let  him  be  a  good  man,  and  ardently 
devoted  to  the  service  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Let 
him  daily  search  the  Scriptures,  feeling  that  they  are 
the  voice  of  God  speaking  to  him  and  communicating 
the  divine  will.  Let  him  search  them  with  a  real 
and  earnest  desire  to  understand  their  whole  mean 
ing  ;  seeking  heartily,  as  he  reads,  for  the  illuminat 
ing  and  purifying  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  he 
may  have  spiritual  discernment,  understand  spiritual 
things  in  a  spiritual  manner,  and  find  the  word  of 
God  to  be  spirit  and  life  to  his  soul.  The  declarations 
of  the  Bible  let  him  heartily  believe,  on  the  testimony 
of  Jehovah  ;  and  the  directions  of  the  Bible,  as  to  feel 
ings,  thoughts,  words,  and  actions,  immediately  and 
perseveringly  follow.  He  will  then  understand  its 
doctrines  and  precepts,  and  will  know  that  both  are 
of  God.  He  will  know  God  himself,  and  Jesus  Christ 
whom  he  has  sent,  which  is  life  eternal.  He  will  also 
earnestly  desire  that  others  may  have  the  same  know 
ledge  j  and  be  willing,  if  God  calls,  to  perform  labors 
and  make  'sacrifices  to  impart  it  to  them.  If  it  shall 
appear  that  he  can  do  this  most  effectually  by  means 
of  a  Bible-class — although  pressed  with  business,  as 
every  faithful  minister  must  be — he  will  not  shrink 
from  the  additional  labor  of  establishing  and  conduct 
ing  one." 

With  prayer  for  divine  direction,  he  may  then 
show  from  the  pulpit  that  "  all  Scripture  is  given  by 
inspiration  of  God,"  and  present  the  evidences,  exter 
nal  and  internal,  of  its  divinity ;  "  such,  for  instance,  as 
the  agreement  of  all  its  writers.  Although  they  were 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  199 

men  of  different  education,  occupation,  and  habits; 
lived  at  different  times,  through  a  period  of  more  than 
fifteen  hundred  years ;  wrote  upon  a  vast  variety  of 
subjects,  some  of  them  that  which  no  mortal  eye  had 
ever  seen,  or  ear  heard,  and  of  which  no  human  mind, 
uninstructed  by  what  they  wrote,  ever  thought ;  yet 
they  all  agree.  They  give  the  same  views  of  God, 
of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  of  heaven, 
and  of  hell ;  of  time,  and  eternity ;  of  the  character 
of  men,  and  what  they  must  do  to  escape  destruction, 
and  inherit  eternal  life.  Although  each  writer  does 
not  speak  to  the  same,  extent,  or  with  the  same  clear 
ness  on  all  these  subjects,  yet  what  he  does  say  is  in 
accordance  with  what  the  others  say.  A  unity  of  de 
sign  and  execution  runs  through  the  Bible,  which  stamps 
upon  it  the  impress  of  God."  And  such  are  its  effects, 
that  "if  all  men  should  perfectly  believe  and  obey  it, 
it  would  transform  this  lost,  guilty  world  into  the 
likeness  of  heaven  ;  every  son  and  daughter  of  Adam 
on  earth,  it  would  change  into  the  image  of  the  God 
of  heaven ;  it  would  fill  the  world,  as  the  waters  fill 
the  seas,  with 'the  bliss  of  heaven.  Would  a  book, 
which  professes  to  be  from  God,  if  it  were  not  so, 
make  all  who  believe  and  obey  it  like  unto  God? 
Would  it,  simply  by  being  followed,  transform  this 
world  into  the  likeness,  and  fill  it  with  the  joys  of 
heaven?  Let  a  man  believe  the  Bible  and  obey  it, 
and  he  will  know  that  it  is  from  God." 

"  Having  made  an  impression  upon  the  audience, 
vivid  and  strong,  that  the  Bible  is  the  word  of  God, 
as  really  as  if  they  heard  him  declare  what  it  contains 
directly  out  of  heaven,  let  the  minister  show  them 


200  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

how  they  ought  to  treat  it — that  they  ought  to  read  it 
daily,  attentively,  devoutly,  and  perseveringly ,  and  that 
when  they  understand  its  directions,  without  delay 
and  without  ceasing,  they  must  follow  them.  He  may 
then  show  the  benefits,  for  time  and  eternity,  of  thus 
studying  the  Bible ;  and  may  offer  to  assist  all  among 
his  beloved  people  who  wish  to  enter  upon  the  study 
of  it,  in  a  Bible-class." 

Suggestions  are  then  given  as  to  forming  the 
class ;  various  ways  in  which  the  minister  may  assist 
them  to  a  right  understanding  of  the  Scriptures  ;  with 
specimens  of  proper  questions  and  answers  on  select 
portions  of  the  Bible,  and  explanations  of  the  topics 
suggested,  which  the  minister  may  give.  "  And  let 
the  members  of  the  class  commence  with  a  fixed  pur 
pose,  trusting  in  Jesus  Christ  alone,  to  ask  of  God 
daily  to  teach  them  his  will  j  and  daily  to  listen  to 
his  voice  speaking  to  them  in  his  word,  that  they  may 
understand  it.  And  when  they  do  understand  it,  let 
nothing  hinder  them  from  doing  it,  for  the  purpose  of 
glorifying  God,  becoming  in  temper  like  him,  and 
performing  his  will.  They  will  then-  find  that  the 
Bible  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul ;  sure,  making 
wise  the  simple  ;  right,  rejoicing  the  heart ;  pure,  en 
lightening  the  eyes ;  true  and  righteous  altogether ; 
more  to  be  desired  than  gold,  yea,  than  much  fine 
gold ;  and  that  in  obeying  it  there  is  indeed  a  great 
reward. " 

March  19,  1826,  he  preached  to  his  own  people  a 
most  effective  sermon,  which  was  then  printed,  and 
immediately  after  embodied  in  the  series  of  the  Amer- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN   ANDOVER.  201 

lean  Tract  Society  at  New  York  as  tract  No.  179, 
"THE  WAY  TO  BE  SAVED."  It  is  one  of  the  best 
tracts  that  have  been  written,  and  has  been  specially 
blessed  of  the  Spirit  in  bringing  souls  to  Christ.  It 
has  been  translated  into  modern  Greek,  Armeno- 
Turkish,  and  other  foreign  languages.  Two  or  three 
paragraphs  may  show  the  character  and  aim  of  this 
precious  tract. 

"  '  I  am  a  great  sinner/  says  one.  '  I  have  sinned 
against  great  light  and  great  love.  I  have  sinned  a 
long  time.  My  heart  is  very  hard,  and  I  sometimes 
think  that  for  me  there  is  no  hope.  I  fear  I  have  sin 
ned  away  my  day  of  grace.  I  deserve  to  perish  ;  and 
unless  God  have  mercy,  I  must  perish.  I  know  that 
Jesus  Christ  died,  'the  just  for  the  unjust;'  that  'he 
was  wounded  for  our  transgressions/  and  '  bruised  for 
our  iniquities  f  that '  he  bore  our  sins  in  his  own  body 
on  the  tree ;'  and  that '  the  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the 
iniquity  of  us  all.'  I  know  this,  because  God  has  de 
clared  it,  and  I  believe  what  he  says.  I  know  also, 
because  he  has  declared  it,  that  the  wicked  will  go 
away  into  eternal  punishment.  I  feel  that  I  am 
wicked,  exceedingly  wicked,  and  should  I  for  ever 
perish,  I  know  that  it  would  be  just.  But  I  cannot 
dwell  with  devouring  fire,  I  cannot  inhabit  everlast 
ing  burnings !  I  wish  to  escape,  and  I  know  that  if  I 
do,  it  must  be  quickly.  WHAT  MUST  I  DO  ?J " 

As  a  reply  to  this  anxious  inquiry,  the  four  ques 
tions  are  then  seriously  asked,  and  considered  in  their 
order,  "  What  have  you  done,  ?"  "  What  are  you  willing 
to  do  ?"  "  When  are  you  willing  to  begin  1"  "  How  long 
are  you  willing  to  continue  ?" 
9* 


202  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

"  Give,  without  delay,  yourself  and  all  that  you 
have  to  Jesus  Christ,  resolving  in  his  strength,  that, 
by  the  assistance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  you  will  '  live 
not  unto  yourself,  but  unto  Him  that  died  for  you,  and 
rose  again.'  Break  off,  without  delay,  whatever  you 
know  to  be  sin,  because  it  is  offensive  to  God,  and 
ruinous  to  you.  Engage  in  whatever  you  know  to  be 
duty,  for  the  sake  of  glorifying  God,  and  doing  good. 
For  the  sake  of  becoming  like  him,  let  it  be  hencefor 
ward  your  grand  object  to  learn  his  whole  will,  and 
to  do  it,  trusting  wholly  in  Jesus  Christ  for  whatever 
you  need,  both  to  do  this,  and  to  be  accepted  in  it. 
Continue  this  course  to  the  end  of  life,  and  you  shall 
be  saved  with  an  everlasting  salvation.  God  will  be 
your  portion,  and  you  shall  not  want  any  good  thing. 
He  will  guide  you  by  his  counsel,  and  afterward 
receive  you  to  glory.  You  shall  see  him  as  he  is, 
and  be  like  him,  to  everlasting  ages.  I  will  tell 
you  why. 

"  This  breaking  off  of  all  known  sin,  because  it  is 
offensive  to  God,  and  ruinous  to  you,  is  repentance. 
This  engaging  heartily  in  what  you  know  to  be  duty, 
for  the  sake  of  glorifying  God  and  doing  good,  is 
obedience.  And  surrendering  yourself,  and  all  that 
you  have,  to  Jesus  Christ,  trusting  alone  in  him  for 
whatever  you  need,  is  faith — that  faith  which  has  sub 
dued  kingdoms,  wrought  righteousness,  and  obtained 
promises ;  stopped  the  mouths  of  lions,  quenched  the 
violence  of  fire,  escaped  the  edge  of  the  sword,  out  of 
weakness  been  made  strong,  waxed  valiant  in  fight, 
and  will,  wherever  it  is  exercised,  overcome  the 
world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil,  and  come  off  conqueror, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  203 

and  more  than  conqueror,  through  Him  that  loved  us, 
and  gave  himself  for  us." 

To  Rev.    William  A.   Hallock,   Secretary,   New    York. 
"ANDOVER,  March  24. 1826. 

"  DEAR  BROTHER — We  conclude  to  have  you  print 
the  Christian  Almanac  for  the  whole  country.  I  have 
written  two  tracts,  (Joy  in  Heaven  over  the  Penitent, 
and  the  Way  to  be  Saved,)  and  am  examining  two 
more  to  fill  out  the  eighth  volume.  Although  I  am 
not  now  of  the  Committee  here,  yet,  as  usual,  I  have 
to  do  the  work.  Of  course  it  moves  slowly.  The 
other  gentlemen  are  by  no  means  negligent,  but  are 
full  of  other  work. 

"I  exceedingly  wish  to  see  a  man  of  the  right 
stamp  at  New  Orleans,  with  a  full  depository,  to  de 
fend  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  and  secure  that 
world  of  back  country.  I  think  that  we  ought  to 
pray  much  that  the  Lord  would  open  the  way  for  it 
speedily.  A  man  at  New  Orleans  with  arms  long 
enough  to  reach  from  Pittsburgh  to  Mexico,  and  strong 
enough  to  scatter  the  good  seed  all  the  way  between, 
might  expect,  through  grace,  an  abundant  harvest. 
Would  it  not  be  well  for  you  to  print  the  'Christian 
Almanac  in  German,  for  the  back  settlements  of  Penn 
sylvania  ;  and  in  Spanish  for  Mexico  and  South 
America  ? 

"The  Society  for  the  promotion  of  Temperance, 
although  it  costs  much  labor,  promises  well.  The 
first  conversation  which  a  few  had  about  funds,  led 
one  man  to  say,  '  I  will  give  a  thousand  dollars.'  We 
want  twentv  other  men  to  do  the  same,  and  hope  that 


204  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

we  shall  then  be  able,  through  grace,  to  save  thou 
sands  of  lives  and  millions  of  dollars  a  year  ;  or  lead 
others  to  save  them.  Then,  should  the  amount  saved 
be,  as  a  thank-offering,  put  into  the  Lord's  treasury, 
we  should  have  new  cause  to  bless  him  and  double 
our  diligence  in  his  service.  But  so  much  good  can 
probably  never  be  effected  without  much  prayer  and 
fasting. 

"  Dr.  Beecher's  installation,  (in  the  new  Hanover- 
street  church,  Boston,)  was  on  "Wednesday.  The  oc 
casion  was  very  interesting,  and  the  cause  of  truth  in 
Boston  is  evidently  rising.  Let  us  pray  much  for  Zion, 
and  prefer  her  prosperity  above  every  earthly  joy. 
"  Affectionately  yours, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

On  May  10,  1826,  he  attended  the  first  anniver 
sary  of  the  American  Tract  Society  in  New  York, 
of  whose  Publishing  Committee  he  was  a  member, 
and  delivered  an  address  worthy  of  the  man  who  had 
nursed  the  Tract  enterprise  from  its  beginning  in  this 
country,  and  perhaps  done  more  than  any  other  man 
to  give  it  the  high  evangelical  and  spiritual  charac 
ter  which,  by  the  grace  of  God,  we  believe  it  yet  pos 
sesses.  This  address  struck  the  key-note  of  the  insti 
tution  ;  it  was  made  the  basis  of  action  and  of  public 
appeals,  and  is  perpetuated  in  one  of  the  series  of 
tracts,  No.  104.  He  began  by  saying, 

"  The  object  of  this  Society  is  to  deliver  immortal 
souls  from  a  course  of  eternal  sinning  and  eternal  suf 
fering  ;  to  transform  them  into  the  perfect  image  of 
God,  and  raise  them  to  a  state  of  eternal  holiness  and 
bliss  in  heaven. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  205 

"  The  means  by  which  we  are  to  accomplish  this, 
is  the  dissemination  of  the  truths  which  God  has  re 
vealed,  in  the  form  of  interesting  and  impressive  re 
ligious  tracts.  I  say,  the  truths  which  God  has  revealed, 
for  no  other  truths  will  accomplish  this  glorious  end : 
such  truths  as  the  utterly  lost  condition  of  sinners, 
and  their  indispensable  duty,  without  delay,  to  love 
God  with  all  their  heart,  and  soulr  and  strength,  and 
mind  ;  the  necessity  of  being  born  again,  not  of  blood, 
nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but 
of  God  ;  the  infinite  dignity,  divine  beauty,  excellence, 
and  glory  of  Him  on  whom  their  help  is  laid ;  his 
amazing  condescension  in  becoming  a  servant,  and 
having  not  where  to  lay  his  head ;  his  unparalleled 
kindness  in  bearing  their  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the 
tree,  and  having  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  them  all ; 
the  necessity  of  believing  on  him  in  order  to  be  inter 
ested  in  the  blessings  of  Ms  salvation ;  that  every  per 
son  to  whom  he  is  made  known  is  under  immediate 
obligation  to  embrace  him,  repent  of  sin,  and  live  not 
unto  himself,  but  unto  him  that  died  for  sinners  and 
rose  again ;  that  a  day  is  coming  when  '  all  that  are 
in  their  graves  shall  hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come 
forth  ;  they  that  have  done  good  unto  the  resurrection 
of  life,  and  they  that  have  done  evil  unto  the  resur 
rection  of  damnation ;'  that  the  wicked  will  go  away 
into  eternal  punishment,  and  the  righteous  into  eternal 
life.  These  are  the  truths,  with  kindred  truths,  in 
their  divinely  inspired  aspect  and  connection,  stamped 
in  bold  relief  on  the  face  of  religious  tracts,  and  ex 
tended  to  every  city  and  town  and  village  and  fam 
ily  and  soul,  by  which  this  Society  is  to  aid  in  reno- 


:JOG  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

vating  a  world,  and  preparing  a  'multitude  that  no 
man  can  number/  to  shine  in  the  beauty  of  holiness, 
and  shout  the  triumphs  of  grace  to  everlasting  ages. 

"  These  are  the  truths  which  were  proclaimed  on 
the  hills  and  in  the  vales  of  Judea ;  by  which  the  fish 
ermen  of  Galjlee,  and  men  of  like  spirit,  went  out, 
and  unarmed,  in  the  face  of  an  opposing  world,  planted 
the  standard  of  the  cross  on  the  throne  of  the  Caesars. 
These  are  the  truths  which  blazed  at  the  Reformation, 
scattered  the  darkness  of  papal  midnight,  and  kindled 
a  light  that  will  *  grow  brighter  and  brighter,  even  to 
the  perfect  day.7  These  truths,  as  they  go  forth,  'pro 
claiming  deliverance  to  captives,  the  opening  of  the 
prison  to  them  that  are  bound/  and  pointing  them  to 
'  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world/  will  cause  tears  of  contrition  to  drop  down 
from  ten  thousand  eyes,  and  ten  thousand  hearts  to 
pour  forth  their  strains  of  gratitude  in  hallelujahs  to 
the  Redeemer. 

"  These  truths  it  is  our  duty  to  extend,  not  merely 
because  we  have  associated  for  this  purpose,  but  be 
cause  God  has  revealed  them,  and  commanded  us  to 
extend  them  to  every  creature.  And,  if  I  do  not  mis 
take,  sir,  there  are  some  peculiar  reasons  why  we,  in 
this  country,  should  extend  them  by  means  of  relig 
ious  tracts. 

"We  are  a  great  people,  and,  if  not  blasted  by  our 
sins,  shall  become  greater  and  greater,  till  the  light 
of  revealed  truth  and  the  light  of  human  science,  the 
light  of  true  religion,  and  the  light  of  civil  and  relig 
ious  freedom,  shall  blaze  from  one  end  of  this  con 
tinent  to  the  other,  and  with  a  brightness  that  shall 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  207 

illumine  the  world.  We  are  called  by  the  God  of 
heaven  to  make  an  experiment,  and  one  of  the  most 
momentous  that  was  ever  intrusted  to  mortals. 

"  Blessed  with  a  country  of  almost  unparalleled 
extent ;  settled  by  a  people  of  invincible  energy,  of 
ceaseless  action,  and  untiring  perseverance ;  enjoying 
civil  and  religious  liberty  to  a  greater  extent  than 
any  other  people  on  the  globe;  holding  property  of 
every  description,  and  to  any  amount,  in  pure  fee- 
simple,  with  the  strongest  motives  bearing  upon  the 
mass  of  minds  to  the  highest  possible  effort,  we  must 
make  a  development  of  character  such  as  creation 
never  witnessed,  and  rise  to  a  height  of  goodness 
and  greatness,  from  which  we  shall  be  the  benefactors 
of  the  world,  and  instruments  in  bearing  its  millions 
to  glory — or  from  which  we  shall  sink,  under  a  load 
of  guilt  such  as  earth  never  bore,  to  endless  perdi 
tion.  Ah,  then  there  would  be  shouting  through  all 
the  world  of  darkness,  and  among  all  the  sons  of 
darkness,  through  the  universe;  ages  of  darkness, 
which  the  gospel  has  heaved  away,  would  roll  back 
ward,  and  cover  millions  and  millions  in  deep  and 
everlasting  gloom. 

"And  are  we  in  no  danger  of  this?  We  are  a 
republic,  with  no  government  but  that  which  rests 
on  the  will  of  the  people,  and  which  cannot  be  per 
petuated  without  holiness  among  the  people.  Some 
may  say,  it  cannot  without  public  virtue.  But  public 
virtue  never  did  exist,  sufficient  to  perpetuate  a  re 
publican  government  over  such  an  extent  of  country 
as  ours,  without  holiness,  and  it  never  will.  This 
holiness  is  not  the  natural  growth  of  a  single  heart  in 


208  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

the  land.  No  means  will  produce  it,  but  the  means 
of  God's  appointment.  Of  these  means  a  vast  portion 
of  our  countrymen  are  now  destitute.  Millions  and 
millions,  increasing  every  day,  are  destitute  of  that 
influence  which  is  so  essential  to  the  preservation  of 
all  our  social,  civil,  and  religious  blessings.  Nor  is 
this  all :  but  each  individual  of  these  millions  has  a 
soul  worth  a  thousand  worlds.  And  without  holiness 
they  had  better  have  had  no  existence ;  for  they  will 
spend  it  in  weeping  and  wailing  and  gnashing  of 
teeth.  While  I  speak  it,  I  see  them  borne  onward 
towards  the  close  of  their  probation,  destitute  of  that 
holiness  without  which  no  one  can  see  the  Lord,  and 
destitute  of  the  means  of  holiness  •  which  God  has 
appointed. 

"What  then  shall^be  done?  Send  them  living 
preachers?  You  have  not  got  them.  Thousands, 
with  the  ardor  of  Paul,  with  the  eloquence  and  might 
in  the  Scriptures  of  Apollos,  are  needed  to-day,  in 
order  fully  to  supply  this  country.  Do  you  say,  '  En 
courage  Education  Societies,  and  train  up  pious  young 
men  for  the  ministry?7  By  all  means.  Let  these 
efforts  be  vastly  increased,  and  prosecuted  with  all 
possible  vigor,  and  generation  after  generation  will 
pass  away  before  they  can  all  have  the  regular  and 
stated  ministrations  of  the  gospel.  Do  you  say, '  Send 
them  the  Bible  T  By  all  means.  Let  efforts  to  extend 
it  be  increased  and  increased,  till  there  shall  not  be  a 
family,  from  one  end  of  the  land  to  the  other,  that  has 
not  the  sacred  volume.  But  then  multitudes  will  not 
read  it ;  and  multitudes  more  will  act  directly  against 
its  holy  dictates. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  209 

"What  then  shall  be  done?  Take  the  truths  of 
the  Bible,  and  in  'thoughts  that  breathe,  and  words 
that  burn/  stamp  them  on  the  pages  of  religious 
tracts ;  multiply  these  tracts  by  thousands  and  mill 
ions  ;  send  them  forth,  attended,  in  answer  to  prayer, 
by  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven,  to  every 
city  and  town  and  neighborhood  and  family,  till  all 
shall  see  Him  who  was  rich,  for  their  sakes  becoming 
poor>  that  they,  through  his  poverty,  might  be  rich. 
And  as  they  see  him  'bearing  their  sins  in  his  own 
body  on  the  tree/  and  hear  him  cry,  'My  God,  my 
God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?7  and  the  sun 
shrinks  away,  the  rocks  break  asunder,  and  the  dead 
start  from  their  graves,  there  will  be  mourning ;  yes, 
there  will  be  a  very  great  mourning,  and  there  will  be 
a  great  turning  unto  the  Lord  our  God." 

He  proceeds  to  give  some  very  striking  and  cheer 
ing  facts,  showing  that  God  had  made  this  means  of 
grace  effectual  in  the  salvation  of  many ;  then  takes  a, 
view  of  the  wants  of  our  country,  at  that  time  con 
taining  about  twelve  millions  of  souls ;  then  considers 
the  means  required,  and  shows  that  the  churches  are 
most  abundantly  able  and  doubtless  willing  to  supply 
them;  and  then  turns  to  the  Canadas,  Mexico,  South 
America,  Africa,  and  all  our  foreign  missionary  sta 
tions  among  the  heathen  as  embraced  in  the  Society's 
field  of  labor. 

"  Thousands  and  thousands  are  now  perishing,  for 
the  want  of  tracts,  on  the  island  of  Ceylon.  'We 
visit,'  said  a  missionary,  'from  two  to  eight  families 
in  a  day;  sometimes  we  take  long  journeys,  and  are 
out  six  or  eight  days.  At  such  times  we  take  a  num- 


210  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS.  D.D. 

ber  of  boys  from  the  schools,  and  we  exceedingly  need 
tracts.  As  we  pass  from  village  to  village,  where  the 
gospel  was  never  preached,  we  find  hundreds  who  can, 
and  would  read,  had  we  Bibles  or  tracts  to  give  them ; 
but,  alas,  we  have  none:  no  Bible,  no  tract  to  show 
the  poor  heathen  how  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come. 
Oh,  that  we  could  get  a  supply  printed.  Into  how 
many  villages  might  the  gospel  be  sent  by  means  of 
tracts  ;  and  how  many  souls,  by  a  single  tract,  might 
be  saved  from  endless  misery.' 

"And  shall  the  missionary  who  has  left  his  father's 
house,  his  native  land,  and  gone  thirteen  thousand 
miles  to  tell  the  dying  pagans  of  a  Saviour,  cry  in  the 
ears  of  a  thousand  churches  abounding  in  wealth, '  Oh, 
that  we  could  get  a  supply  of  tracts  printed.  Into 
how  many  villages  might  the  gospel  be  sent  by  means 
of  tracts,  and  how  many  souls  might  be  saved  by 
a  single  tract  from  endless  misery ' — and  yet  cry  in 
vain  ?  Let  those  churches  answer. 

"  At  Bombay  is  a  printing-press,  in  the  midst  of  a 
population,  speaking  the  same  tongue,  of  eleven  mill 
ions  of  people ;  nearly  all  of  whom  are  destitute  of 
the  gospel,  and  among  whom  tracts  might  be,  cir 
culated  to  the  utmost  advantage.  A  strong  feeling  of 
doubt  and  uncertainty  exists  in  the  minds  of  multi 
tudes  throughout  that  country  with  regard  to  their 
own  religion.  Numbers  have  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  it  is  false.  Multitudes  are  halting  between  two 
opinions,  and  all  are  becoming  impressed  with  the 
expectation  that  a  great  change  is  approaching.  In 
this  state,  they  greatly  need  tracts,  and  many  strongly 
desire  them.  Individuals  have  come  twenty  miles, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  211 

and  in  some  cases  thirty  and  forty  miles,  to  obtain 
a  tract.  And  writes  a  missionary,  'Tracts  may  be 
printed  at  Bombay  as  cheap  as  in  America ;  and  in 
no  part  of  the  world  can  they  be  distributed  to 
greater  advantage.  Many  of  the  people  would  be 
likely  to  receive  more  instruction  from  a  little  tract, 
which  they  could  read  in  five  minutes,  than  from  the 
whole  of  the  New  Testament,  because  they  would  be 
so  much  more  likely  to  read  it.' 

"  Writes  another  missionary,  '  The  distribution  of 
tracts  is  the  only  possible  way  in  which  we  can  ex 
hibit  any  portion  of  the  gospel  to  vast  multitudes  of  the 
present  generation  of  India.  Ministers  enough  to  go 
and  preach  to  them  the  gospel,  cannot  be  obtained. 
We  must  print  and  circulate  tracts,  or  millions  and 
millions  of  the  present  and  future  generations  must 
go  down  without  the  gospel,  in  unbroken  succession, 
to  the  grave.' 

"And  these  millions,  Mr.  President,  exceedingly 
need  tracts ;  for  they  are  exceedingly  wretched,  even 
for  this  life.  A  man  who  has  resided  among  them 
twenty  years,  for  the  purpose  of  investigating  their 
spiritual  condition,  told  me  that  he  knew  of  a  numer 
ous  class  with  whom  it  was  an  article  of  religion  not 
to  suffer  a  single  female  child  to  live.  One  of  them, 
however,  on  the  birth  of  a  daughter,  being  overcome 
by  natural  affection,  resolved  to  preserve  her  life. 
He  secreted  her,  and  intended,  unknown  to  his  coun 
trymen,  to  preserve  her  to  mature  years.  He  suc 
ceeded  without  its  being  known,  till  she  was,  I  think, 
seven  years  old.  Then  it  became  known  that  he  had 
in  his  house  a  daughter.  And  being  abroad  one  day, 


212  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

he  was  so  overcome  with  the  scoffs  of  his  countrymen, 
and  with  the  obloquy  which  they  cast  upon  him,  that 
he  returned,  and  with  an  axe  hewed  her  in  pieces. 

"And  not  only  are  they  miserable  in  this  life,  but 
in  death.  A  Hindoo  of  a  thoughtful,  reflecting  turn 
of  mind,  but  devoted  to  idolatry,  lay  on  his  death-bed. 
As  he  saw  himself  about  to  plunge  into  that  boundless 
unknown,  he  cried  out,  'What  will  become  of  me?' 
'  0,'  said  a  Brahmin  who  stood  by,  '  you  will  inhabit 
another  body.'  '  And  where/  said  he,  '  shall  I  go 
then?7  'Into  another.7  'And  where  then?7  'Into 
another,  and  so  on,  through  thousands  of  millions.7 
Darting  across  this  whole  period,  as  though  it  were 
but  an  instant,  he  cried,  'Where  shall  I  go  then?7 
And  paganism  could  not  answer.  And  he  died, 
agonizing  under  the  inquiry,  *  Where  shall  I  go,  last 
of  all?7 

"  Another  Hindoo  lay  on  his  death-bed ;  he,  how 
ever,  had  seen  a  religious  tract,  and  had  read  it.  It 
had  led  him  to  religious  teachers,  and  to  Christ.  His 
friend,  hearing  of  his  sickness,  came  to  see  him,  and 
found  him  in  the  last  stage  of  disease  ;  and  as  he  bore 
up  his  languishing  head,  watching  to  see  him  breathe 
his  last,  the  dying  man  broke  out  in  ecstasy,  'Sing, 
brother,  sing.7  '  What,7  said  he,  '  shall  I  sing  ?'  '  Sal 
vation,7  said  he ;  '  salvation,  by  the  death  of  Jesus 7 — 
and  winged  his  way  to  bow  with  ransomed  millions 
before  the  throne. 

"  Let  us  send  tracts  to  those  sinners,  and  all  other 
sinners  on  the  globe — tracts  blazing  with  the  efful 
gence  of  the  truths  which  God  has  revealed,  in  the  aspect 
and  connection  in  which  he  has  revealed  them,  and  at- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  213 

tended,  in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  God's  people,  by 
the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven ;  and  multi 
tudes  out  of  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  people, 
and  tongue,  will  assemble  on  mount  Zion,  and  open 
an  everlasting  anthem  'unto  Him  that  loved  us,  and 
washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  blood  ;'  and  every  holy 
creature  in  the  universe  will  cry,  '  Unto  him  be  glory, 
for  ever  and  ever.' " 

To   Mrs.   E  d  vrards. 
"  PHILADELPHIA,  Monday  Morning,  May  15, 1826. 

"  MY  VERY  DEAR  WIFE — The  longer  I  am  absent 
from  you,  the  more  I  learn  how  much  I  love  you  and 
the  dear  little  children,  and  the  more,  I  trust,  I  feel 
my  obligations  to  God  for  such  precious  blessings. 
The  more  I  see  of  the  condition  of  others,  and  con 
trast  it  with  our  condition,  the  more  I  feel  that  we 
are  under  obligations  of  special  gratitude  to  God  for 
his  kindness.  I  hope  it  may  lead  us  to  himself,  and 
excite  us  to  greater  activity  in  his  service. 

"Last  Monday  I  left  Colchester,  and  took  the 
steamboat  at  East  Haddam.  On  board  I  found  a 
large  number  of  ministers,  and  among  others,  Mr. 
Vail  from  the  Osage  Indians.  He  came  and  told 
me  that  he  had  a  letter  for  you  from  one  of  the  Osage 
girls  at  the  missionary  station.  He  wished,  however, 
to  keep  it,  for  the  sake  of  reading  it  at  New  York 
and  Philadelphia,  after  which  he  said  that  he  would 
hand  it  to  me.  In  the  evening  he  gave  an  account  of 
the  Indians,  and  the  exercises  were  closed  by  singing 
a  hymn,  and  a  prayer.  In  the  morning  we  found  our 
selves  at  New  York.  I  attended  the  meetings  of  the 
American  Home  Mission  Society,  the  American  Tract 


214  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

Society,  the  Bible  Society,  and  the  Education  Society. 
On  Friday  I  took  the  steamboat,  with  Rev.  Dr.  Por 
ter,  for  New  Brunswick  ;  then  the  stage  to  Prince 
ton.  There  we  attended  the  examination  of  the  The 
ological  Seminary,  and  spent  the  night  with  the  pro 
fessors;  then  took  the  stage  to  Trenton,  then  the 
steamboat  to  Philadelphia.  Yesterday  I  preached  in 
the  morning,  and  in  the  evening.  To-night  the  Sab 
bath-school  Union  have  a  meeting  in  this  city.  Other 
meetings  will  come  along  from  day  to  day  till  Thurs 
day,  when  the  General  Assembly  meet,  and  will  hold 
their  session  two  weeks.  I  have  concluded  not  to  go 
any  farther  south.  The  weather  is  as  hot  here  now, 
as  it  is  with  us  in  the  midst  of  summer.  Apple-trees 
and  peach-trees  were  in  bloom  more  than  a  week  ago. 
Rye  is  almost  as  high  as  the  top  of  the  fences,  and 
grass  almost  high  enough  to  mow.  I  shall  stay  here 
a  few  days,  and  then,  with  the  leave  of  Providence, 
shall  return.  Love  to  all. 

"  Your  affectionate  husband, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

As  above  intimated,  the  large  edifice  in  which  Dr. 
Edwards  preached  could  no  longer  accommodate  the 
thronging  audiences,  and  a  portion  of  the  congrega 
tion  were  set  off  as  the  West-church  in  Andover.  On 
June  15,  1826,  he  was  called  to  lay  "  the  corner 
stone"  of  the  new  edifice,  on  which  occasion  he  re 
counted  the  way  in  which  they  had  been  graciously 
and  harmoniously  led,  and  set  before  them  the  high 
spiritual  aims  by  which  he  hoped  all  who  took  part 
in  the  enterprise  had  been  and  would  be  governed. 

"But  little  more  than  two  hundred  years  ago." he 


t 

01    TUB 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVE  215 

^^^^iX^ 

said,  "New  England  was  a  waste,  howli 
ness  ;  inhabited  only  by  savage  beasts,  and  savage 
men.  No  altar  for  Jehovah,  and  no  house  dedicated 
to  his  worship,  was  to  be  seen  from  one  end  of  it  to 
the  other. 

"  A  little  band  of  pilgrims  under  the  guidance  of 
Abraham's  God  came  across  the  Atlantic,  and  on  the 
22d  of  December,  1620,  planted  their  feet  on  these 
western  shores.  At  the  opening  of  a  long  and  dreary 
winter,  on  a  bleak,  frozen  coast,  without  a  house  to 
shelter  them,  or  any  human  arm  for  their  protec 
tion,  they  commenced  a  settlement  ;  resolving,  in  the 
strength  of  the  Lord,  here  to  spend  their  days,  and 
here  to  leave  their  children.  Before  the  opening  of 
spring,  sickness  swept  off  half  their  number  •  trials 
gathered,  thickened,  and  pressed  upon  them,  enough 
to  break  down  and  overcome  any  common  purpose  ; 
but  they  persevered,  through  dangers  seen  and  dan 
gers  unseen,  resolving,  with  increasing  firmness,  here 
to  spend  their  days,  and  here  to  leave  their  children. 
."What  was  their  object?  The  glory  of  God  in 
the  salvation  of  their  posterity.  What  supported 
them  in  their  privations  and  dangers  and  toils  and 
sufferings  ?  '  Christ  in  them  the  hope  of  glory.'  Faith 
in  him  which  overcomes  the  world,  and  love  to  him 
stronger  than  death,  bore  them  up  in  their  trials, 
gave  them  an  elevation  of  feeling,  an  extent  of  vision, 
a  boldness  of  design,  a  vigor  of  execution,  and  an  in 
flexibility  of  perseverance,  the  effects  of  which  have 
been  felt  by  millions  and  millions  down  to  this  day  ; 
and  will  continue  to  be  felt  by  greater  and  greater 
numbers,  to  the  end  of  the  world. 


216  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

"  Let  it  be  distinctly  stated,  let  it  be  universally 
understood,  and  by  the  children  of  the  pilgrims  al 
ways  remembered :  The  grand  object  of  our  fathers 
in  coming  to  this  land,  was  the  glory  of  God  in  the 
salvation  of  their  posterity  ;  not  their  salvation  mere 
ly  from  civil  and  ecclesiastical  oppression,  or  their 
exaltation  to  the  privileges  and  enjoyments  of  free 
dom,  but  their  salvation  from  the  power  and  pollu 
tion  of  sin,  their  restoration  to  the  image  of  God, 
and  their  exaltation  to  the  holiness  and  bliss  of  heav 
en.  It  was,  that  the  Son  of  God  might  make  them 
free,  that  they  might  be  free  indeed.  They  sought 
for  their  posterity,  principally,  not  an  earthly,  but  a 
heavenly  country  ;  a  city  that  hath  foundations,  whose 
builder  and  maker  is  God.  Hence,  among  their  first 
acts  after  their  arrival,  was  a  dedication  of  themselves 
and  their  children  anew  to  him.  Among  the  first 
buildings  which  they  erected,  after  obtaining  for  them 
selves  a  shelter,  was  a  house  for  his  worship.  The 
foundation  was  laid  in  prayer,  the  structure  reared  in 
faith,  and  the  head-stone  brought  forth  with  shouting, 
Grace,  grace  unto  it. 

"  Whenever,  on  account  of  their  increasing  num 
bers,  they  settled  a  new  town,  one  of  their  first  objects 
was  a  meeting-house ;  and  another,  a  minister.  In 
selecting  him,  they  sought  for  one  who  believed  that 
men  are  lost,  and  that  all  their  hope  must  be  in  Him 
who  came  down  from  heaven  to  seek  and  to  save ;  that 
when  he  died  for  all,  all  were  dead;  and  that  without 
being  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh, 
nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God,  they  cannot  see  his 
kingdom ;  that  it  is  their  duty,  when  he  is  revealed, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  217 

without  delay  to  love  him  with  all  the  heart,  arid  soul, 
and  strength,  and  mind  ;  and  live,  not  unto  themselves, 
but  unto  Him  that  died  for  them  and  rose  again  ;  that 
the  Word,  who  was  in  the  beginning  with  God,  was 
God ;  that  when  he  took  upon  him  our  nature,  and  in 
this  nature  died  on  the  cross,  he  was  wounded  for  our 
transgressions,  and  bruised  for  our  iniquities,  that  the 
chastisement  of  our  peace  was  on  him,  and  that  by  his 
stripes  we  are  healed ;  that  the  Lord  laid  on  him  the 
iniquity  of  us  all,  and  that  whosoever  believeth  on 
him,  with  that  faith  which  works  by  love,  hath  ever 
lasting  life,  shall  not  come  into  condemnation,  but  is 
passed  from  death  unto  life ;  while  he  that  believeth 
not,  shall  not  see  life,  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth 
on  him.  They  sought  a  man  for  their  minister,  who 
believed  that  all  that  are  in  their  graves  shall  one 
day  hear  his  voice,  and  come  forth,  they  that  have 
done  good,  to  the  resurrection  of  life,  and  they  that 
have  done  evil,  to  the  resurrection  of  damnation ;  that 
he  will  separate  them  one  from  another,  as  a  shepherd 
divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats,  and  that  the  wicked 
will  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment,  when  the 
righteous  go  into  eternal  life. 

"These  great  truths  which  God  has  revealed,  with 
kindred  truths,  in  their  divinely  inspired  aspect  and 
connection,  they  had  been  taught  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
to  feel;  and  they  had  found  them  to  be  the  wisdom 
and  the  power  of  God  to  salvation.  They  wished 
their  ministers  to  feel  them,  and  to  preach  them,  not 
only  because  they  are  revealed,  but  that  they  might 
be  the  wisdom  and  power  of  God  to  the  salvation  of 
their  children  and  children's  children.  And  their 

Edwards,  1 0 


218  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

ministers  did  preach  them.  '  Christ  and  him  cruci 
fied7  was  then  the  grand  theme  in  every  pulpit;  and 
it  came  not,  in  word  only,  but  in  power,  in  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  in  much  assurance.  As  they  took 
the  truth  of  God  as  he  reveals  it,  he  was  not  ashamed 
to  be  their  God.  He  enlarged  the  borders  of  their 
tents,  and  stretched  forth  the  curtains  of  their  habita 
tions.  He  drove  out  the  heathen  from  one  place  and 
another,  and  planted  them.  In  about  twenty  years 
after  the  first  landing  of  the  fathers,  Christian  fami 
lies  were  settled  in  this  town.  A  meeting-house  was 
erected,  and  a  minister  ordained ;  who,  says  the  his 
torian,  'abounded  in  devotions,  of  serious,  devout, 
heavenly,  experimental  Christianity.'  The  same  gos 
pel  that  sounded  on  the  shores  of  Plymouth,  was  from 
Sabbath  to  Sabbath  preached  in  Andover ;  and  under 
the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  produced  its  appro 
priate  effects. 

"  Between  sixty  and  seventy  years  after  this,  the 
first  house  was  erected  for  public  worship  in  this  par 
ish.  A  minister  was  settled,  a  descendant  of  the 
Puritans,  and  partaking  of  their  spirit.  Of  his  grand 
father  it  is  said,  '  His  love  of  the  Bible  was  so  great, 
that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  reading  it  through  six 
times  in  every  year.'  His  grandson  loved  the  Bible, 
and  was  cordially  attached  to  the  doctrines  of  grace, 
as  embraced  by  the  fathers  of  New  England ;  for 
more  than  sixty  years  he  earnestly  preached  them, 
persuaded,  says  the  historian,  and  as  his  own  works 
abundantly  testify,  that '  they  are  the  faith  which  was 
once  delivered  to  the  saints.' 

"This  gospel,  through  the  kindness  of  God,  has 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  ^19 

been  preached  in  this  parish  down  to  the  present  day. 
And  to  many,  there  is  reason  to  believe,  it  has  been 
the  wisdom  of  God  and  the  power  of  God  to  salva 
tion.  Numbers  now  on  earth,  and  numbers  now  in 
heaven,  will  testify  for  ever  that  it  is  the  glorious  gos 
pel  of  the  blessed  God.  May  it  ever  be  preached  here 
in  simplicity  and  godly  sincerity,  be  attended  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven,  and  be  the  means 
of  salvation  to  all  future  generations,  down  to  the  end 
of  the  world. 

"  Hitherto  you,  and  your  fathers,  have  worshipped 
in  one  house ;  and  it  has,  I  trust,  been  to  many  the 
house  of  God  and  the  gate  of  heaven.  Peace  be 
within  its  walls,  and  the  God  of  peace  with  all  who 
meet  in  it  to  worship  him. 

"In  the  course  of  divine  Providence,  under  the 
smiles  of  heaven,  you  have  now  become  too  numerous 
any  longer  to  be  accommodated  in  one  assembly.  In 
consequence  of  this,  you  have  been  led  to  unite  your 
prayers,  your  counsels,  and  your  efforts,  for  the  erec 
tion  of  another  place  of  worship.  Through  the  good 
ness  of  God,  you  have  selected  a  spot,  provided  the 
means,  and  made  arrangements  for  the  erection  of  the 
building.  You  have  prepared  the  foundation,  and 
now,  after  united  supplication  to  the  Father  of  lights 
for  his  presence  and  blessing,  have  laid  the  corner 
stone.  May  you  have  wisdom,  grace,  and  strength 
from  on  high,  speedily  to  complete  the  edifice ;  and 
then,  as  an  offering  of  gratitude,  to  dedicate  it  with 
all  its  appurtenances  to  God,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Ghost,  your  God,  and  your  father's  God, 
which  is  your  reasonable  service.  In  his  own  good  time, 


220  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

may  he  send  you  a  minister  after  his  own  heart ;  a 
man  of  faith  and  prayer ;  of  wisdom  and  a  sound 
mind  •  of  humility  and  zeal ;  boldness,  energy,  and 
perseverance  j  who  shall  determine  not  to  know  any 
thing  among  you,  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified ; 
who  shall  open  to  you  with  great  clearness  his  un 
searchable  riches,  and  count  all  things  but  loss  for 
the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Him;  who  shall 
go  in  and  out  before  you,  and  break  unto  you  the 
bread  of  life ;  bear  you  and  your  children  daily  to 
the  throne  of  mercy,  and  be  honored  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  an  instrument  of  leading  you  and  them  to 
that  knowledge  of  God  and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ, 
which  is  life  eternal.  That  this  may  be  the  case,  let 
all  your  efforts  spring  from  love  to  God,  and  love  to 
men  •  let  all  profaneness,  intemperance,  and  immoral 
ity  of  every  description,  be  banished  from  among 
you  5  let  the  voice  of  humble,  believing  supplication 
ascend  from  every  one  of  you  daily  in  secret,  Jeho 
vah  be  acknowledged  by  every  one  of  you  daily  in 
your  families,  his  fear  reign  in  your  hearts,  and  his 
revealed  will  govern  your  lives.  Then  may  you  hope 
speedily  to  hear  the  gospel,  to  meet  the  presence  and 
enjoy  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  this 
house  of  prayer.  And  after  worshipping  God  in 
spirit  and  in  truth,  in  this  temple  made  with  hands, 
you  may  hope  to  meet  in  a  temple  made  without 
hands — a  temple  large  enough  to  hold  all  the  re 
deemed,  from  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  people, 
and  tongue ;  into  which  they  shall  all  enter,  a  mul 
titude  that  no  man  can  number  •  and  he  shall  open  to 
their  admiring  vision  the  infinite  glories  of  his  charac- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  221 

ter,  with,  greater  and  greater  brightness  for  ever  and 
ever." 

Not  long  after  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of 
the  new  church,  Dr.  Edwards,  in  a  sermon  to  his 
people,  recounted  to  them  the  various  proceedings 
which  had  been  happily  consummated  in  the  erection 
of  the  new  edifice  and  the  dismission  of  fifty-six  mem 
bers  for  the  new  organization.  He  calls  upon  his 
remaining  people  to  give  thanks  to  God  for  the  har 
mony  with  which  the  whole  proceeding  had  been  con 
ducted;  still  to  regard  those  who  had  united  in  the 
new  enterprise  as  their  brethren  beloved ;  to  pray 
daily  for  his  presence  and  blessing  to  be  with  them, 
and  especially  upon  the  young,  of  whom  there  were 
many  within  the  bounds  of  the  new  congregation ; 
that  he  would  send  them  a  pastor  who  should  be  a 
man  after  his  own  heart ;  and  that  brotherly  love 
between  the  two  churches  might  ever  continue. 

A  few  months  afterwards,  June  6,  1827,  the  Rev. 
Samuel  C.  Jackson,  with  the  cordial  welcome  of  Dr. 
Edwards,  was  installed  pastor  of  the  West  church, 
where  a  blessing  attended  his  labors ;  and  the  two 
churches  have  long  preserved  "  the  unity  of  the  Spirit 
in  the  bond  of  peace." 

"While  fulfilling  all  these  responsibilities  in  his 
own  more  immediate  field  of  labor,  public  calls  and 
claims  multiplied  upon  him.  The  more  faithful  and 
successful  were  his  labors  at  home,  the  more  was  he 
appreciated  abroad,  and  the  more  the  hallowed  in 
fluence  of  his  services  was  sought  in  other  portions  of 
the  Lord's  vineyard. 


222  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

At  the  time  of  his  visit  to  New  York  in  May 
1826,  the  "American  Home  Missionary  Society"  was 
organized ;  he  was  elected  a  Director  ;  and,  July  1,  an 
urgent  application  was  made  to  him  to  give,  for  as 
long  a  time  as  he  could  be  spared  from  his  people,  his 
"  efficient  exertions  and  personal  influence  "  in  labors 
in  the  principal  towns  in  Connecticut,  and  in  the 
cities  of  New  York  and  Albany,  to  establish  the  So 
ciety  in  the  affections  of  the  people,  and  lay  the 
foundations  for  its  future  success. 

September  14,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
"  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Mis 
sions  ;"  and  at  the  same  time  was  acting  on  a  Commit 
tee  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Theological  Semi 
nary  as  to  proper  arrangements  in  the  department  of 
Ecclesiastical  History,  on  which  he  obtained  valuable 
letters  from  the  Rev.  Drs.  Miller  and  Perrine,  pro 
fessors  at  Princeton  and  Auburn,  and  from  other 
sources.  He  was  invited  to  deliver  the  concio  ad 
clerum  at  Williams  College,  and  to  preach  on  other 
public  occasions ;  was  requested  to  assist  a  pastor 
where  the  influences  of  the  Spirit  were  manifest,  and 
who  wished  "warm-hearted  preaching"  by  those  "not 
afraid  nor  ashamed  to  preach  the  gospel  in  its  pu 
rity;"  and  by  another  pastor  of  a  very  important 

church,  at  N ,  was  requested  to  tell  him  how  so 

to  preach  to  his  great  congregation,  that  the  truth 
might  reach  the  hearts  of  his  people,  how  best  to  con 
duct  Sabbath-schools  and  Bible-classes,  and  how  so 
to  perform  pastoral  duties  as  to  win  his  people  to 
Christ. 

On  July  20,  1826,  he  received  a  call  from  the 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  223 

Park-street  church,  Boston,  as  he  had  not  long  before 
been  informally  requested  to  consent  to  overtures  for 
his  settlement  in  the  new  church  established  in  Han 
over-street  in  that  city,  where  the  Rev.  Dr.  Lyman 
Beecher  was  soon  after  installed.  The  Committee  to 
present  the  call  to  Park-street  comprised  the  Hon. 
Samuel  Hubbard,  Hon.  George  Odiorne,  Jeremiah 
Evarts,  and  Henry  Hill,  Esqrs.,  Deacons  Bumstead 
and  Proctor,  Mr.  Henry  Homes,  and  other  citizens  of 
distinguished  worth,  all  personal  friends  of  Dr.  Ed 
wards  ;  and  it  was  prosecuted  with  a  zeal  and  ability 
that  prompted  to  all  discreet  and  proper  measures  to 
accomplish  an  object  dear  to  their  hearts,  and  in 
which  they  believed  that  the  interests  of  evangelical 
truth,  not  only  in  Boston,  but  throughout  the  country 
and  the  world,  were  deeply  involved.  The  call  was 
enclosed  in  the  following  note  from  the  Hon.  Mr. 
Hubbard,  chairman  of  the  Committee,  and  was  urged 
upon  Dr.  Edwards  by  the  most  powerful  motives 
which  some  of  the  ablest  members  of  the  Committee 
could  personally  present,  not  the  least  of  which  was 
the  influence  he  might  there  exert  in  behalf  of  his  and 
their  favorite  object,  the  American  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions. 

"BOSTON,  July  21, 1826. 

"REV.  AND  DEAR  SIR — These  lines  announce  to 
you,  that  the  members  of  Park-street  church,  after 
solemn  deliberation  and  many  prayers  for  the  divine 
guidance,  have,  with  most  desirable  unanimity  and 
with  feelings  of  cordial  respect  and  attachment, 
elected  you  to  become  their  pastor.  The  church  are 
not  unmindful  that  you  sustain  endearing  and  highly 


224  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

important  relations,  in  the  place  where  your  divine 
Master  has  made  use  of  your  talents  and  services. 
But  they  wish  to  lay  before  you  the  reasons  which 
have  induced  them  to  offer  the  present  invitation  ; 
and  which,  unless  they  are  mistaken,  will  make  it 
your  duty  to  accept  it. 

"The  accompanying  copy,  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  church  will  sufficiently  explain  the  principal  facts 
relating  to  this  important  transaction.  It  may  be 
proper,  however,  for  the  Committee  who  wait  upon 
you  with  this  document,  to  make  such  verbal  state 
ments  as  shall  seem  to  them  likely  to  cast  any  light 
upon  the  path  of  duty. 

"Praying  that  you  may  experience  the  divine 
guidance  with  reference  to  this  great  concern,  and 
that  the  Lord  would  cause  the  hearts  of  all  who  are 
interested  in  the  result  of  this  application,  humbly  to 
acquiesce  in  that  course  which  shall  be  most  for  his 
glory,,  we  are,  reverend  sir,  with  sentiments  of  sincere 
friendship  and  Christian  affection, 

"  Yours  in  the  gospel. 

"By  order  of  the  Committee  appointed  by  the 
church  to  present  their  call, 

"  SAMUEL  HUBBARD,  CHAIRMAN." 

As  a  means  of  learning  the  will  of  divine  Prov 
idence  on  the  momentous  question  submitted  to  him, 
Dr.  Edwards  addressed  a  large  number  of  distin 
guished  clergymen  and  laymen,  inquiring,  "Is  it  in 
your  view  probable  that  I  can  on  the  whole  be  more 
useful  to  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by 
becoming  pastor  of  the  Park-street  church,  than  by 
continuing  where  I  am  ?"  To  this  inquiry  more  than 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  225 

thirty  who  were  addressed  returned  him  faithful,  well- 
considered  replies,  all  implying  a  deep  conviction  that 
the  best  interests  of  religion  were  involved  in  the 
question  of  the  station  he  should  occupy.  At  a  meeting 
also  of  several  esteemed  pastors  and  laymen,  the  whole 
subject  was  patiently  and  seriously  discussed :  the 
powerful  reasons  for  his  removing  to  Park-street,  and 
the  powerful  reasons  for  his  remaining  at  Andover, 
being  fully  presented  and  weighed.  Students  of  the 
Theological  Seminary  put  in  their  plea  that  he  should 
remain,  for  the  sake  of  his  influence  on  that  institu 
tion  ;  and  on  the  whole,  especially  as  the  enterprise 
of  establishing  the  new  church  in  Andover  remained 
to  be  consummated,  the  path  of  duty  did  not  appear 
to  him  so  clear  as  to  warrant  the  sundering  of  all 
the  sacred  existing  ties,  and  he  declined  the  call  as 
follows : 

"ANDOVER,  August  28, 1826. 
"To  the  Church  in  Park-street,  Boston: 

"  DEAR  BRETHREN — The  invitation  which  you  have 
been  pleased  to  give  me  to  become  your  pastor,  I  re 
ceived  through  the  hands  of  your  Committee,  on  the 
22d  ult.  The  subject  is  immensely  important,  and  I 
have  given  it  an  attentive  and  prayerful  considera 
tion.  I  have  endeavored,  by  all  suitable  means,  to 
ascertain  the  will  of  God,  and,  if  I  know  my  own 
heart,  for  the  purpose  of  doing  it.  So  far  as  I  can 
judge  from  the  indications  of  his  providence,  it  does 
not  appear  to  be  his  will  that  I  should  accept  the  in 
vitation  ;  I  therefore  decline  it.  In  doing  this,  I  am 
not  insensible  of  the  peculiarly  interesting  manner  in 
which  it  was  presented,  nor  of  the  vast  importance  of 

10* 


226  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

your  situation  as  a  church,  being  called  to  shine  with 
the  light  of  holiness  not  merely  on  a  city,  or  a 
country,  but  on  the  world.  That  the  Lord  will  guide 
and  bless  you,  and  in  his  own  way  and  time  send  you 
a  pastor  after  his  own  heart,  who  shall  be  instru 
mental  in  your  salvation  and  that  of  your  children,  in 
extending  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
throughout  your  city,  throughout  our  country,  and 
throughout  the  whole  earth,  is  the  prayer  of  your 
affectionate  and  unworthy  servant  in  the  gospel, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

The  Hon.  Mr.  Hubbard,  in  a  letter  a  few  weeks 
later,  having  expressed  a  desire  that  some  of  his  chil 
dren  might  visit  the  family  of  Dr.  Edwards,  says,  "I 
feel  solicitous  concerning  them,  and  I  have  an  in 
creased  desire  that  their  minds  may  be  early  im 
pressed  with  a  sense  of  divine  truth,  and  that  they 
may  act  from  an  habitual  regard  to  the  fear  and  favor 
of  God."  He  adds, 

"I  will  not  indulge  my  feelings  on  the  subject  of 
your  answer  to  our  church.  I  hope  I  endeavored, 
with  much  mixture  of  infirmity  and  sin  however,  to 
commit  the  subject  to  God,  after  using  all  proper  and 
upright  means  to  place  the  case  in  the  light  which 
appeared  to  me  correct ;  and  it  is  my  duty  to  say,  The 
will  of  the  Lord  be  done.  In  looking  at  my  dear 
family,  I  feel  the  want  of  a  pastor,  and  I  thought  I 
saw  those  wants  supplied  far  better  than  I  deserve; 
but  I  am  brought  back  again,  or  ought  to  be,  to  more 
simple  and  direct  dependence  upon  God,  and  I  pray 
Him  to  strengthen  our  faith,  and  to  provide  for  us  in 
his  good  time  a  true  servant  who  shall  feed  his  sheep 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  227 

and  his  lambs,  and  be  a  faithful  laborer  in  his  Master's 
sheepfold." 

"  You  stand,"  wrote  an  esteemed  pastor  near  Bos 
ton,  when  the  question  of  his  removal  to  Park-street 
was  pending,  "in  the  full  view  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
young  men  who  are  to  be  pastors,  and  move  around 
in  your  parish,  with  so  many  eyes  out  on  you  as  a  liv 
ing  example  in  a  work  in  which  no  small  part  of  their 
usefulness  must  consist.  God  has  enabled  you,  in  an 
important  sense,  to  say  to  them  in  this  work,  'Be  ye 
followers  of  me ;'  at  least,  they,  as  I  know,  have  felt 
this.  If  you  leave  Andover,  will  your  place  in  this 
respect  be  filled  ?  And  will  your  relations  as  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees  be  as  well  sustained  ? 

"  Your  meetings  with  the  professors  for  devising 
good — what  have  they  done?  You  know,  sir,  better 
than  I ;  but,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  they  have  been  at 
the  foundation  of  some  of  the  richest  blessings  to  the 
world.  One  man  of  mighty  power  to  pray  and  plan 
there,  is  Archimedes  with  his  lever.  I  am  always  glad 
to  feel  that  you  are  in  those  counsels,  in  which  I  have 
sometimes  had  the  privilege  to  mingle." 

In  October,  1826,  Mr.  Homan  Hallock,  who,  on 
September  5,  1824,  had  united  with  Dr.  Edwards7 
church  on  the  profession  of  his  faith,  sailed  as  a  mis 
sionary  printer  for  the  Mediterranean ;  claiming  the 
pastor's  counsel,  sympathy,  and  prayers ;  and  writing 
back  to  him  from  time  to  time  cheering  missionary 
intelligence. 

In  November  he  received  a  request  from  the  Amer 
ican  Sunday-school  Union,  to  prepare  a  Manual  for 


228  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

conducting  Bible-classes,  both  of  youth  and  of  adults, 
founded  on  his  own  experience  of  what  is  "  best  fitted 
to  answer  the  important  ends  of  the  social  study  of  the 
word  of  God." 

In  January,  1827,  he  preached  his  published  ser 
mon  on  "  the  Inspiration  of  the  Scriptures  "  at  instal 
lations  in  Henniker,  N.  H.,  and  Conway,  Mass. ;  a 
sermon  which  was  translated  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Goodell, 
and  printed  in  Italian,  and  afterwards  in  Modern 
Greek,  and  still  later  in  Armeno-Turkish. 

In  this  month  he  visited  Boston,  and  with  the 
counsel  and  cooperation  of  active  ministers  and  lay 
men,  raised  in  that  city  $5,400,  to  which  he  soon  ad 
ded  $2,000,  from  Andover,  Salem,  Newburyport,  and 
Northampton,  towards  the  support  of  an  agent  or 
secretary  to  devote  himself  permanently  to  the  pro 
motion  of  the  cause  of  temperance. 

March  22,  1827,  he  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Tract  Society,  New  York,  "  The  indications  for  good, 
in  all  this  region,  are  more  numerous  and  decisive 
than  I  have  ever  known  before.  There  is  rather  a 
growing  attention  among  my  people.  Pray  for  us." 

A  few  weeks  later  he  says,  "  The  unusual  anxiety 
among  my  people,  and  the  increasing  numbers  who 
are  inquiring  what  they  shall  do  to  be  saved,  leaves 
me  not  a  moment's  time  to  try  to  supply  the  defects  of 
this  manuscript." 

At  the  close  of  May,  he  again  writes  from  Boston : 
"We  have,  I  think,  had  more  evident  tokens,  during 
the  celebration  of  our  anniversaries  this  year,  that 
the  Lord  is  among  us  by  his  Spirit,  than  ever  before. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  229 

There  is  a  remarkable  tenderness  of  spirit  manifested 
by  the  ministers,  and  an  earnest  desire  for  the  salva 
tion  of  men.  It  was  suggested  to  my  mind  in  passing 
the  new  theatre,  which  is  rapidly  going  up  there, 
whether  it  is  not  .the  will  of  God  that  his  people 
should  agree  together  to  pray  that  the  building  may 
be,  as  soon  as  the  designs  of  infinite  benevolence  shall 
permit,  consecrated  as  a  temple  for  the  worship  of  the 
living  God ;  and  that  instead  of  its  being,  as  it  jnust 
be  if  appropriated  according  to  the  present  designs,  a 
place  in  which  multitudes,  perhaps  some  of  our  own 
relatives,  will  be  ripened  for  perdition,  it  may  be  a 
place  in  which  multitudes,  in  answer  to  prayer,  shall 
be  prepared  for  glory.  Will  you  think  of  it,  ask 
counsel  of  the  Lord,  and  let  me  know  your  thoughts 
upon  it.  Is  it  too  much  for  the  Lord,  in  the  course  of 
no  long  period,  to  take  possession  of  that  theatre,*  of 
Harvard  College,  of  all  Boston,  and  this  whole  com 
monwealth;  and  of  the  four  millions  of  the  destitute 
west  of  the  Alleghanies ;  and  of  the  five  hundred  mill 
ions  equally  precious,  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  the 
going  down  of  the  same?  Our  brethren  from  New 
York  have  done  us  much  good ;  and  I  hope  have  not 
been  injured  themselves. 

"  P.  S.  I  have  been  wishing  for  some  time  to  save 
twenty  dollars  from  the  expenses  of  my  family  to 
transmit  to  your  Society.  I  now  have  it,  and  send  it 
to  you,  lest,  if  I  should  delay,  it  should  slip  some  other 
way.  It  will  make  me  a  life  member." 

*  This  theatre,  the  Tremont,  was,  about  fifteen  years  after 
wards,  purchased  and  converted  into  a  free  evangelical  church  in 
the  Baptist  connection,  where  the  gospel  is  statedly  preached. 


230  REV.   JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

In  this  month  he  was  invited  to  deliver  anniver 
sary  addresses  before  the  American  Bible  Society  in 
New  York,  the  American  Sunday-school  Union  in 
Philadelphia,  and  the  American  Tract  Society  at  Bos 
ton  ;  but  the  pressure  of  other  duties  compelled  him 
to  decline  the  invitations. 

In  the  number  of  the  National  Preacher  for  this 
month  appeared  his  evangelical  and  excellent  sermon, 
"  The  Great  Change,"  from  the  text,  "  If  any  man  be 
in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature" 

The  gracious  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  having 
been  manifested  in  many  churches,  and  serious  ques 
tions  having  arisen  as  to  the  measures  employed  by 
some  for  the  promotion  of  the  work,  a  convention  of 
several  prominent  clergymen  from  the  New  .England 
states  and  New  York,  met,  July  18,  1827,  at  Lebanon 
Springs,  and  spent  several  days  in  a  serious  consid 
eration  and  discussion  of  the  proper  principles  and 
measures  to  be  observed  in  labors  in  revivals.  A 
report  of  the  discussion,  published  in  the  New  York 
Observer  of  August  4,  1827,  and  signed  by  Rev. 
Heman  Humphrey,  D.  D.,  Moderator,  gives  the  follow 
ing  propositions  relating  to  evils  supposed  to  exist, 
which  were  submitted  by  Dr.  Edwards,  and  unani 
mously  adopted : 

"  That  revivals  of  true  religion  are  the  work  of 
God's  Spirit,  by  which,  in  a  comparatively  short  period 
of  time,  many  persons  are  convinced  of  sin,  and  brought 
to  the  exercise  of  repentance  towards  God  and  faith 
in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

"  That  the  preservation  and  extension  of  true  re- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  231 

ligion  in  our  land  have  been  much  promoted  by  these 
revivals." 

"  That  according  to  the  Bible  and  the  indications 
of  Providence,  greater  and  more  glorious  revivals  are 
to  be  expected,  than  have  ever  yet  existed." 

"Tiliat  though  revivals  of  religion  are  the  work 
of  God's  Spirit,  they  are  produced  by  means  of  divine 
truth  and  human  instrumentality,  and  are  liable  to  be 
advanced  or  hindered  by  measures  which  are  adopted 
in  conducting  them.  The  idea  that  God  ordinarily 
works  independently  of  human  instrumentality,  or 
without  any  reference  to  the  adaptation  of  means  to 
ends,  is  unscriptural." 

"  There  may  be  some  variety  in  the  mode  of  con 
ducting  revivals  according  to  local  customs ;  and 
there  may  be  relative  imperfections  attending  them, 
which  do  not  destroy  the  purity  of  the  work,  and  its 
permanent  and  general  good  influence  upon  the  church 
and  the  world ;  and  in  such  cases,  good  men,  while 
they  lament  these  imperfections,  may  rejoice  in  the 
revival  as  the  work  of  God." 

"There  may  be  so  much  human  infirmity,  and  in 
discretion  and  wickedness  of  man,  in  conducting  a 
revival  of  religion,  as  to  render  the  general  evils 
which  flow  from  this  infirmity,  indiscretion,  and  wick 
edness  of  man,  greater  than  the  local  and  temporary 
advantages  of  the  revival;  that  is,  this  infirmity,  in 
discretion,  and  wickedness  of  man,  may  be  the  means 
of  preventing  the  conversion  of  more  souls  than  may 
have  been  converted  during  the  revival. 

"  In  view  of  these  considerations,  we  regard  it  as 


232  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

eminently  important  that  there  should  be  a  general  un 
derstanding  among  ministers  and  churches,  in  respect 
to  those  things  which  are  of  a  dangerous  tendency 
and  are  not  to  be  countenanced." 

"Those  meetings  for  social  religious  worship,  in 
which  all  speak  according  to  their  own  inclinations, 
are  improper  ;  and  all  meetings  for  religious  worship 
ought  to  be  under  the  presiding  influence  of  some  per 
son  or  persons." 

"  The  existence  in  the  churches  of  evangelists  in 
such  numbers  as  to  constitute  an  influence  in  the  com 
munity  separate  from  that  of  the  settled  pastors,  and 
the  introduction  by  evangelists  of  measures  without 
consulting  the  pastors,  or  contrary  to  their  judgment 
and  wishes,  by  an  excitement  of  popular  feeling  which 
may  seem  to  render  acquiescence  unavoidable,  is  to 
be  carefully  guarded  against,  as  an  evil  which  is  cal 
culated,  or  at  least  liable,  to  destroy  the  institution 
of  a  settled  ministry,  and  fill  the  churches  with  confu 
sion  and  disorder." 

"All  irreverent  familiarity  with  God,  such  as  men 
use  towards  their  equals,  or  which  would  not  be  proper 
for  an  affectionate  child  to  use  towards  a  worthy  par 
ent,  is  to  be  avoided." 

"From  the  temporary  success  of  uneducated  and 
ardent  young  men,  to  make  invidious  comparisons 
between  them  and  settled  pastors,  to  depreciate  the 
value  of  education,  or  introduce  young  men  as  preach 
ers  without  the  usual  qualifications,  is  incorrect  and 
unsafe." 

"To  state  things  which  are  not  true,  or  not  sup- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  233 

ported  by  evidence,  for  the  purpose  of  awakening  sin 
ners,  or  to  represent  their  case  as  more  hopeless  than 
it  really  is,  is  wrong." 

"Unkindness  and  disrespect  to  superiors  in  age 
or  station,  is  to  be  carefully  avoided." 

"  In  promoting  and  conducting  revivals  of  religion, 
it  is  unsafe,  and  of  dangerous  tendency,  to  connive  at 
acknowledged  errors,  through  fear  that  enemies  will 
take  advantage  from  our  attempt  to  correct  them." 

"  The  immediate  success  of  any  measure,  without 
regard  to  its  scriptural  character,  or  its  future  and 
permanent  consequences,  does  not  justify  that  measure, 
or  prove  it  to  be  right." 

"  Great  care  should  be  taken  to  discriminate  be 
tween  holy  and  unholy  affections,  and  to  exhibit  with 
clearness  the  scriptural  evidences  of  true  religion." 

"  No  measures  are  to  be  adopted  in  promoting  and 
conducting  revivals  of  religion,  which  those  who  adopt 
them  are  unwilling  to  have  published,  or  which  are 
not  proper  to  be  published  to  the  world." 

In  August,  he  was  requested  to  prepare  for  an 
able  quarterly  a  review  of  the  subject  of  "  Revivals," 
in  which  it  was  hoped  that  all  the  friends  of  genuine 
revivals  might  cordially  unite. 

In  September,  he  received  a  kind  note  from  the 
Rev.  President  Day,  informing  him  that  the  Corpora 
tion  of  Yale  College  had  conferred  on  him  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Divinity,  and  expressing  the  hope  that, 
though  "  these  academical  titles  are  of  small  account 
with  one  who  elevates  his  aims  above  the  transient 
distinctions  of  earth,"  he  would  not  refuse  their  "  trib 
ute  of  respect." 


234  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

Dr.  Edwards  had  now  ministered  to  a  beloved  and 
confiding  people  for  nearly  fifteen  years,  with,  a  cheer 
ing  and  constant  accession  to  the  church,  on  the  pro 
fession  of  their  faith,  of  those  who  gave  evidence  of 
true  and  saving  conversion  to  God.  In  1813,  seven 
were  thus  admitted;  in  1814,  twenty- thr ee ;  in  1815, 
fourteen;  in  1816,  six;  in  1817,  fourteen;  in  1818, 
twenty-one ;  in  1819,  sixteen ;  in  1820,  eleven ;  in  1821, 
eight;  in  1822,  ten;  in  1823,  ten;  in  1824,  when  the 
Bible-classes  were  greatly  blessed,  fifty-five,  of  whom 
forty  were  heads  of  families,  and  twenty-seven  mem 
bers  of  the  Bible-classes ;  in  1825,  twenty ;  in  1826, 
eight ;  in  1827,  sixteen ;  being,  in  fifteen  years,  two 
hundred  and  thirty-nine  admitted  on  profession  of 
their  faith,  making,  with  twenty-seven  received  from 
other  churches,  two  hundred  and  sixty-six.  But  this 
was  far  from  the  measure  of  all  the  good  effected. 
The  steady  influence  of  his  ministry  for  fifteen  years 
was  as  the  gentle  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the 
congregation.  Every  visit  he  made  to  a  school  or 
family,  to  the  sick,  suffering,  or  sorrowing,  every  per 
sonal  interview,  every  smile  and  word  of  counsel  to 
the  child,  every  funeral  attended,  every  marriage  cele 
brated,  every  pastoral  or  social  visit,  every  prayer  he 
offered,  every  brief  portion  of  scripture  he  expounded, 
all  the  variety  of  circumstances  in  which  the  people, 
old  or  young,  came  in  contact  with  the  man  of  God, 
impressed  on  their  minds  the  fact  that  true,  vital  re 
ligion  is  a  blessed  reality,  and  that  they  must  be  born 
again  by  the  washing  of  regeneration  and  renewing  of 
the  Spirit.  His  efficient  influence  in  Sabbath-schools 
and  Bible-classes  was  a  pattern  for  imitation,  and 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  235 

awakened  interest  and  encouragement  extensively  in 
other  churches.  His  devotional  services  and  exposi 
tions  of  the  Scriptures,  in  the  social  prayer-meeting,  or 
the  parochial  family  visit,  were  a  feast  to  the  hungry 
soul.  He  not  only  loved  and  venerated  the  Bible,  but 
he  himself  fed  upon  it,  and  drew  refreshment  from  it 
for  others.  It  afforded  exhaustless  supplies,  and  the 
more  he  drew  from  it,  the  richer  were  its  remaining 
treasures. 

Well  do  we  remember  the  spiritual  refreshment 
imparted  by  his  official  labors  in  the  sanctuary.  When, 
under  the  chilling  influence  too  often  felt  in  studying 
the  Scriptures  in  the  originals,  perhaps  with  learned 
but  unsanctified  helps,  or  investigating  theological 
truth  as  a  science,  the  soul  seemed  to  be  famishing,  it 
was  as  a  visit  from  on  high  to  be  permitted  to  join  in 
his  prayers,  which  seemed  to  breathe  "  an  unction  from 
the  Holy  One,"  and  listen  to  the  great  life-giving  truths 
of  salvation  by  the  once  crucified,  but  risen,  exalted, 
and  interceding  Redeemer.  His  deep-toned  voice, 
often  tremulous,  from  the  swelling  emotions  -of  his 
heart ;  his  tender  beaming  eye ;  the  whole  expression 
of  his  countenance  and  demeanor,  as  if  he  lived  in 
sight  of  the  holiness  and  bliss  of  heaven,  and  of  the 
misery  of  the  lost,  and  would  pluck  sinners  as  brands 
from  the  burning  •  his  sense  of  the  fulness  of  Christ,  of 
the  power  of  the  Spirit,  of  the  prevalence  of  prayer, 
and  the  worth  of  the  soul ;  his  hiding  himself  in  the 
riches  of  divine  grace ;  his  moving  entreaties — still 
live  before  us,  as  "the  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed 
God." 


236  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

Yet  the  time  had  come  when  the  bond  that  had 
united  him  to  his  people  without  a  jar,  must  be  sun 
dered.  From  an  early  period,  as  has  already  appear 
ed,  his  soul  had  been  stirred  within  him  by  the  sad 
influence  of  intemperance  in  steeling  the  heart  against 
the  gospel.  Again  and  again  he  had  presented  the 
subject  to  his  people,  and  seen  the  beneficent  results. 
The  American  Temperance  Society  had  been  formed 
in  a  great  degree  through  his  influence ;  it  needed 
some  master-spirit  to  carry  it  forward  ;  and  there  was 
"no  man  like-minded,  naturally  to  care  for  it."  A  work 
wide  as  the  world,  and  requiring  more  than  human 
power,  was  to  be  done ;  his  brethren  enlisted  with 
him  in  that  Society,  urged  that  work  on  him ;  the  eyes 
of  the  community  were  fixed  on  him  for  this  service ; 
and  he  felt  that  the  great  Master  called  him  to  enter 
it,  with  all  its  sacrifices  and  self-denials.  Besides,  he 
felt  that  his  multiplied  and  growing  public  engage 
ments  must  diminish  his  usefulness  as  a  pastor ;  and 
in  addition  to  this,  he  perceived  that  his  firm  native 
strength  and  vigor  could  not  long  sustain  the  constant 
pressure  that  had  rested  upon  him.  He  consulted  the 
Ministerial  Association  with  which  he  stood  connect 
ed,  and  able  and  faithful  Christian  friends,  who  exam 
ined  the  subject  with  prayerful  deliberation.  The 
path  of  duty  seemed  plain.  He  laid  the  subject  before 
his  deacons,  and  then  submitted  it  to  his  congregation 
in  the  following  terms  : 

"  To  the  South  Church  and  Society  in  Andover : 

"  DEAR  BRETHREN  AND  FRIENDS — In  the  course  of 
divine  Providence,  I  have  received  from  the  Execu- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  237 

tive  Committee  of  the  American  Society  for  the  Pro 
motion  of  Temperance/  the  following  communication  : 
[a  commission  appointing  him  Agent  of  that  Society 
for  three  months,  with  a  view  to  his  being  elected 
its  permanent  Secretary.] 

"  The  above  appointment,  so  far  as  it  relates  to 
engaging  for  a  time,  in  order,  with  the  leave  of  Provi 
dence,  to  lay  a  foundation  for  the  permanent  support 
of  a  man  who  shall  devote  his  life  to  the  promotion 
of  Temperance,  I  feel  it  to  be  my  duty,  after  having 
received  the  opinion  of  many  Christian  friends,  to 
accept  •  provided  you  shall  be  willing  to  grant  me  a 
dismission  for  this  purpose.  And  I  hereby  request  that 
I  may  be  dismissed  from  my  pastoral  and  ministerial 
connection  with  you,  in  order  that  I  may  accept  the 
above-mentioned  temporary  appointment ;  and  then  be 
in  a  situation,  should  any  other  appointment  be  made, 
to  act  with  regard  to  it  as  Providence  shall  seem  to 
call. 

"  This  request,  dear  brethren  and  friends,  is  not 
made  on  account  of  any  diminution  of  affection  for 
you,  or  regard  for  your  welfare,  and  that  of  your 
children,  but  on  account  of  a  conviction  that  the  good 
of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  will  be  promoted  by 
my  dismission,  and  that  it  will  be  better  for  you  and 
your  children  to  have  a  good  minister  whose  whole 
time  can  be  devoted  to  your  service,  than  to  have  one 
who  is  called  to  be  absent  as  much  as  I  am  for  the 
promotion  of  public  benevolent  objects. 

"Wishing  you  the  divine  guidance  and  blessing, 
and  praying  that  the  Lord  will  ever  dwell  among 
you  by  his  Spirit,  and  bring  all  in  this  place  to  that 


238  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

knowledge  of  himself  and  of  his  Son  which  is  life 
eternal, 

"  I  am,  with  tender  affection, 
"  Most  cordially,  your  much  obliged  pastor, 

"J.  EDWARDS. 
"ANDOVER,  Sept.  8, 1827." 

A  meeting  of  the  church  having  been  appointed 
for  September  14,  on  the  preceding  day  Dr.  Edwards 
received  a  call  from  the  church  which  had  then  been 
formed  in  Salem-street,  Boston,  to  become  their  pastor, 
which  call  he  also  laid  before  the  church  in  connection 
with  the  above  communication.  His  church  and  con 
gregation,  seeing  the  determined  purpose  with  which 
he  had  resolved  to  yield  to  what  he  believed  to  be  the 
call  of  G  od,  though  at  great  apparent  sacrifice  both  to 
themselves  and  to  him,  acquiesced  in  his  decision,  and 
the  pastoral  relation  was  dissolved,  October  1,  1827. 
.  Such  a  sundering  of  the  tender  and  sacred  rela 
tions  which  God  has  established  between  an  endeared 
pastor  and  his  flock,  whom  he  is  leading  by  the  still 
waters,  and  training  for  usefulness  on  earth  and  for 
glory  in  heaven,  is  among  the  most  trying  and  inscru 
table  events  in  the  dispensations  of  a  holy  and  uner 
ring  Providence.  It  was  a  bitter  stroke  to  his  unani 
mously  confiding  people,  who  had  come  to  feel  that 
all  he  did  and  proposed  was  for  their  highest  and 
eternal  good.  -An  honored  officer  of  the  church  re 
cently  said,  "  We  had  but  one  thing  against  him,  and 
that  was  his  leaving  us." 

Could  all  the  history  of  this  pastoral  life  for  fifteen 
years  be  recorded  as  seen  by  the  omniscient  Eye,  it 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  239 

would  be  full  of  interest  and  encouragement  to  the 
ministry,  and  to  all  who  love  the  welfare  of  the  Re 
deemer's  kingdom.  Thanks  for  the  seed  sown  and 
fruits  reaped  for  eternity,  in  which  the  subject,  the 
writer,  and  the  reader  of  this  memoir  may  rejoice  for 
ever  before  the  throne  of  God.  Would  that  we  had  a 
record  from  the  pastor's  own  pen  of  the  emotions  of 
his  heart,  and  of  what  God  was  doing  in  and  by  him  ; 
but  in  this  most  laborious,  active,  and  useful  portion 
of  his  life,  when  his  public  services  were  most  abun 
dant,  when  calls  were  pressing  on  him  from  every 
direction,  and  his  powers  were  tasked  to  the  utmost 
in  fulfilling  his  weighty  responsibilities,  he  kept  no 
written  memorial  even  of  the  most  important  events, 
as  if  he  had  then  been  guided  by  what  he  wrote 
twenty  or  thirty  years  later  in  life  in  his  comment  on 
Paul's  words,  "  Would  to  God  ye  could  bear  with  me 
a  little  in  my  folly  :"  "A  judicious  and  modest  Chris 
tian  wiH  not  speak  of  himself  and  his  labors,  unless  the 
public  good  evidently  requires.it;  and  then  he  will 
do  it,  not  to  exalt  himself,  but  to  magnify  the  grace 
of  God." 

Those  who  know  most  of  the  influence  and  results 
of  this  happy  period  of  Dr.  Edwards'  life,  of  which 
the  writer,  from  the  years  1819  to  1825,  was  not  a 
distant  or  indifferent  spectator,  appreciate  them  the 
most  highly;  but  they  will  never  be  fully  "recorded 
here  on  earth. 

A  few  worthy  servants  of  Christ,  still  adorning 
the  gospel,  who  recall,  with  overflowing  gratitude,  his 
public  ministrations,  his  Bible-classes,  Sabbath-schools, 
pastoral  visits,  and  godly  life,  must  not  be  denied  the 


240  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

privilege  of  uttering  their  testimony  to  the  grace  of 
God  manifested  through  him. 

The  venerable  Mr.  John  Adams,  long  Preceptor 
of  the  Phillips  Academy  at  Andover,  and  yet  active 
in  the  Master's  service  at  the  advanced  age  of  more 
than  fourscore  years,  says  of  Dr.  Edwards  as  a 
pastor : 

"I  was  intimately  acquainted  with  him,  from  the 
time  he  entered  the  Theological  Seminary  till  I  left 
Andover  in  1833.  On  my  first  acquaintance,  I  often 
met  him  at  the  prayer-meeting,  and  in  the  conference- 
room,  especially  at  the  central  school-house.  It  was 
here,  at  these  solemn  and  interesting  meetings,  that 
Mr.  Edwards,  then  a  student  in  the  seminary,  so  won 
the  affections  of  the  people  in  the  parish,  that  they 
fixed  their  eyes  upon  him  as  their  future  pastor.  And 
so  intent  and  eager  were  they,  that  before  he  had 
completed  the  regular  course  in  the  seminary,  he, 
with  the  full  consent  of  the  professors,  was  installed 
pastor.  Here  he  labored  with  great  success,  highly 
esteemed,  and  greatly  beloved.  And  his  labors  were 
richly  blessed  in  the  conversion  of  sinners,  and  the 
increase  and  purity  of  the  church.  When  the  church 
for  the  seminary  and  academy  was  organized,  my 
family  of  course  changed  our  place  of  worship ;  but 
Betsey  Cleaveland,  long  an  interesting  member  of  the 
family,  was  so  strongly  attached  to  her  minister,  loved 
him,  his  instructions  and  counsels,  so  much,  and  had 
such  confidence  in  him,  that  nothing  could  separate 
her  from  Dr.  Edwards.  If  her  wish,  and  the  wishes 
of  many  others,  could  have  been  gratified,  he  would 
never  have  left  Andover. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  241 

"  Dr.  Edwards,  no  doubt,  had  his  faults,  but  I  do 
not  remember  them.  He  was  remarkably  cautious 
and  prudent;  a  safe  counsellor,  and  a  peacemaker. 
He  did  not  indulge  in  polemics  or  metaphysics.  He 
did  not  attempt  things  too  high  for  him,  nor  '  to  be 
wise  above  what  is  written.'  He  was  very  solemn  in 
his  public  prayers.  His  manner  of  preaching  was  so 
plain  and  simple,  that  those  of  common  attainments 
could  not  fail  to  understand  him.  He  was  sound  in 
doctrine ;  his  delivery  good,  earnest,  solemn,  and  cal 
culated  to  make  the  impression  on  the  audience,  that 
he  did  really  believe  what  he  said." 

An  aged  lady,  Mrs.  C ,  recalls  with  the  deep 
est  interest  "  his  faithful  labors,  his  wise  counsel,  and 
judicious  explanations  of  Scripture,  by  which  many 
were  made  wise  unto  salvation.  The  instruction  I 
received  from  his  public  discourses,"  she  says,  "  I  shall 
never  forget.  Even  now,  I  recollect  distinctly  with 
what  eager  and  delightful  anticipation  I  looked  for 
ward  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  knowing  I  should  be 
fed  with  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word,  and  hoping 
thereby  to  grow  in  knowledge  and  in  grace." 

Others  recall  ihejirst  Sabbath-school;  the  anniver 
sary  occasions,  when  three  hundred  children  each  re 
ceived  from  the  hand  of  the  pastor  a  little  book,  with 
kind  words  of  counsel  and  incentives  to  study  the 
word  of  God ;  the  visits  and  instructions  of  the  pas 
tor  in  the  day-schools ;  and  the  plainness  and  solem 
nity  with  which,  in  the  Bible-classes,  divine  truth  was 
brought  down  to  the  comprehension  of  all. 

An  aged  member  of  the  church  says,  "  The  silent 
but  pervading  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  1823-24 

Edwards,  1  1 


242  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

greatly  enlarged  the  church,  and  endeared  the  pastor 
to  his  people.  The  work  was  still  and  solemn.  No 
extraordinary  measures  were  resorted  to,  but  a  divine 
influence  manifestly  attended  the  common  means  of 
grace.  The  prayer-meeting  and  room  for  religious 
inquiry  were  places  of  deep  solemnity.  The  appeals 
of  our  pastor  were  direct  and  pungent.  It  was  the 
time  of  G-od's  gracious  visitation.  There  seemed  a 
steady,  uniform  growth  of  piety,  which  was  the  legiti 
mate  result  of  the  faithful  preaching  of  the  gospel. 
The  house  of  God  then  answered  well  to  the  senti 
ment  which  for  so  many  years  was  inscribed  on  its 
venerable  walls,  '  Holiness  becorneth  thy  house,  0  Lord, 
for  ever.'  His  pastoral  visits  were  highly  prized. 
They  were  strictly  religious,  always  closed  with  pray 
er,  and  suited  to  make  a  deep  impression  on  every 
member  of  the  family.  If  any  subject  of  interest  to 
the  family,  any  passage  of  Scripture,  or  religious  topic 
was  brought  up  in  the  course  of  the  conversation, 
which  needed  light,  it  was  not  unusual  to  hear  more 
about  it  the  next  Sabbath.  His  charities  were  kind, 
unobtrusive,  but  eminently  judicious.  His  basket  was 
always  at  hand,  and  filled  for  the  supply  of  the  poor 
and  needy." 

Two  letters,  written  more  than  thirty  years  ago, 
by  H.  F.,  a  lady  who  spent  some  years  in  Andover, 
are  still  preserved,  which  report  to  distant  friends  the 
religious  privileges  she  was  enjoying  under  the  minis 
try  of  Dr.  Edwards.  In  one  she  describes  a  lecture 
at  a  school-house,  from  Revelation  20,  on  the  resur 
rection  and  general  judgment,  when  the  books  shall 
be  opened,  and  all,  small  and  great,  appear  before 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  243 

God.  In  the  other,  she  first  describes  a  Bible-class 
when  the  subject  was  the  Lord's  opening  the  heart  of 
Lydia,  and  the  conversion  of  the  jailer ;  and  then  an 
evening  lecture  on  Faith,  as  illustrated  in  Hebrews 
11.  "  He  was  in  liis  element/7  she  says,  "  and  you  may 
judge  how  he  appeared.  He  seemed  to  soar  on  the  t 
wings  of  faith,  and  to  take  us  all  with  him.  He  told 
us  what  faith  is,  the  necessity  of  having  it,  and  the 
happiness  of  those  who  live  by  faith.  He  said  we  must 
always  follow  the  way  that  God  leads ;  there  may  be 
difficulties  and  trials,  but  we  must  surmount  them, 
take  up  the  cross,  and  never  regard  the  sneers  and 
scoffs  of  the  world.  He  described  Noah's  faith,  who 
went  on  building  the  ark  a  hundred  and  twenty  years, 
as  if  he  could  see  the  clouds  gathering,  and  the  rain 
descending.  This  is  true  faith :  to  live  in  the  belief 
of  things  not  seen.  0,  it  was  good  to  be  there,  though 
I  know  that  all  these  precious  privileges,  if  misimpro- 
ved,  will  rise  against  me  in  the  day  of  trial." 

Another  member  of  his  church  says,  "  I  well  remem 
ber  the  hold  he  had  on  the  hearts  of  his  people,  and 
how  strong  a  tie  was  sundered  when,  in  the  providence 
of  God,  he  was  called  to  labor  elsewhere.  He  often 
visited  his  people  in  regular  course  by  neighborhoods, 
holding  in  each  a  neighborhood  meeting.  These  meet 
ings  awakened  a  deep  interest,  and  it  was  esteemed  a 
rich  privilege  to  attend  them.  He  gave  such  clear  and 
distinct  views  of  the  truths  explained,  and  enforced 
them  in  such  a  familiar  and  practical  manner,  that  it 
seemed  to  carry  conviction  to  every  heart  of  the  im 
portance  of  becoming  personally  interested  in  religion. 
The  amount  of  labor  he  performed  in  this  way  is  truly 


244  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

surprising,  considering  the  great  extent  of  his  parish. 
But  this  constant  and  familiar  intercourse  with  his 
people  was,  under  God,  one  of  the  grand  secrets  of  the 
success  of  his  labors,  and  aided  him  to  prepare  a  word 
in  season  for  all. 

"  The  cause  of  missions  lay  near  his  heart,  and  he 
labored  to  impress  its  importance  upon  his  people, 
that  they  might  aid  it  by  their  prayers  and  efforts  and 
contributions.  He  made  the  monthly  concert  of  prayer 
an  occasion  of  deep  interest ;  and  the  first  Monday  in 
January  he  wished  to  have  observed  by  the  church  as  a 
day  of  fasting  and  prayer.  These  were  precious  sea 
sons,  not  soon  forgotten  by  those  who  enjoyed  them. 

"  He  sought  out  and  visited  the  abodes  of  want 
and  sorrow.  Of  the  good  he  thus  did,  and  the  char 
ities  he  bestowed,  the  record  is  on  high,  and  the  final 
day  will  declare  it.  Many  facts  illustrating  this  I 
learned  of  my  father,  whose  calling,  as  a  physician, 
led  him  to  witness  much  suffering,  and  of  whom  Dr. 
Edwards  frequently  inquired  as  to  cases  he  had  met. 
One  such  case  shows  with  what  energy  and  persever 
ance  he  would  overcome  obstacles,  to  accomplish  a 
good  object.  My  father  had  been  called,  on  a  very 
cold  and  stormy  day,  to  visit  a  poor  sick  woman  in  a 
family  consisting  only  of  three  females,  who  lived  on 
a  cross  street  a  mile  from  the  public  road.  He  found 
them  almost  perishing  with  cold.  The  heavy  snow, 
which  was  still  falling  and  piling  in  drifts,  rendered 
the  roads  almost  impassable ;  yet  Dr.  Edwards  made 
his  way  through  it  all  no  less  than  three  times  during 
the  day,  with  wood  from  his  own  wood-pile,  and  other 
articles  for  their  relief." 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  245 

Another,  who  resided  in  a  distant  part  of  the  con 
gregation,  says,  "  A  few  years  after  he  was  settled,  he 
established  a  meeting  in  the  most  westerly  part  of  the 
parish,  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  every  month,  when  the 
house  was  generally  crowded  with  attentive  hearers, 
many  coming  from  the  neighboring  towns.  Among 
the  happy  results  of  this  meeting  was  the  hopeful  con 
version  of  a  number  of  persons,  some  of  them  mothers 
of  families,  who  seldom  had  the  privilege  of  attending 
church.  Many  remember  these  meetings  as  among 
their  choicest  privileges,  the  texts  from  which  he 
preached,  and  the  deep  earnestness  and  solemnity  with 
which  he  spoke,  seldom  going  through  a  sermon  with 
out  his  eye  being  moistened  with  a  tear.  Though  his 
congregation  was  very  large,  he  did  not  neglect  the 
most  remote  corners,  but  sought  out  the  sick  and 
afflicted,  and  in  his  visits  administered  not  only  to 
their  spiritual,  but  also  to  their  temporal  wants.  The 
memory  of  that  revered  man  is  enshrined  in  many 
hearts." 

Another,  in  a  distant  part  of  the  congregation, 
says,  "  In  our  district-school  he  took  a  deep  interest, 
not  only  visiting  it  at  the  opening  and  at  the  close,  but 
often  during  the  term,  and  encouraging  us  not  only 
in  our  regular  school-studies,  but  to  commit  passages 
of  Scripture  and  the  catechism,  for  which  he  presented 
us  tracts  which  were  highly  esteemed,  and  some  of 
which  are  still  preserved  in  remembrance  of  the  giver. 
He  also  established  among  us  a  neighborhood  Bible- 
class,  which  was  attended  in  the  afternoon ;  and  in 
the  evening,  prayer-meetings  were  held  in  the  neigh 
boring  houses,  as  the  result  of  which  a  large  number 


246  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

were  added  to  Ms  church,  and  many  who  have  since 
professed  faith  in  Christ,  have  dated  their  first  relig 
ious  impressions  from  those  interesting  seasons." 

A  lady  says,  "  In  his  family,  where  I  was  often 
privileged  to  be,  I  was.  struck  with  many  traits  of  his 
character.  One  was,  the  entire  absence  of  any  thing 
like  detraction,  fault-finding,  or  unkindness.  Return- 
ing  from  public  worship  on  the  Sabbath,  as  he  found 
two  of  his  children  engaged  in  something  like  play, 
he  mildly  said, '  Is  this  the  way  to  keep  the  Sabbath- 
day  holy?'  and  related  how  careful  his  mother  was 
that  he  should  keep  the  Sabbath ;  which  had  the  de 
sired  effect.  Usually  his  words  were  few,  and  he  was 
especially  reserved  in  speaking  of  himself.  I  suppose 
the  person  is  not  living  who  ever  heard  him  speak  of 
his  own  good  deeds.  What  he  said  was  instructive  and 
edifying ;  and  he  seemed  to  speak  only  what  he  would 
be  willing  all  his  people  should  hear.  There  was  a 
kindness  and  benignity  in  the  expression  of  his  coun 
tenance  and  his  manner  which  inspired  confidence  and 
love,  and  you  always  wished  to  hear  more  from  his 
lips." 

Another  says,  "He  never  talked  for  the  sake  of 
talking.  It  seems  to  me  no  one  will  have  so  few  idle 
words  to  answer  for  at  the  judgment.  He  frequently 
repeated  the  passages,  'In  the  multitude  of  words 
there  wanteth  not  sin.7  *  A  fool  uttereth  all  his  mind, 
but  a  wise  man  keepeth  it  in  till  afterwards/  He  was 
probably  never  accused  of  slander,  or  of  speaking  un 
advisedly  with  his  lips.  He  seemed  to  be  fully  aware 
that  '  the  tongue  is  a  fire,  a  world  of  iniquity.'  His 
words  were  often  'like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  247 

of  silver/  Many  of  his  short  pithy  sayings  are  laid 
up  as  treasures  by  his  friends:  'It  always  requires 
more  light  to  move,  than  it  does  to  stand  still.'  '  In 
order  to  know  what  a  man's  judgment  is  worth,  you 
must  know  his  circumstances  in  relation  to  the  matter 
about  which  he  is  consulted.7  '  No  man  of  sense  and 
right  feeling  will  be  lifted  up  or  made  vain  by  human 
honors,  much  less  by  flattery.  To  this  every  man  of 
talent,  learning,  and  accomplishments  of  any  kind  will 
be  exposed,  and  the  weak  will  often  bestow  it  upon 
him,  but  none  but  the  weak  will  be  lifted  up  by  it.' 
It  was  common  for  him,  when  asked  about  any  thing 
he  was  thinking  of  doing,  to  say, '  If  Providence  opens 
the  way.'  When  asked  about  his  health,  even  if  un 
well,  his  usual  reply  was,  *  comfortable.'  This  doubt 
less  arose  from  an  aversion  to  making  himself  the 
topic  of  remark." 

The  trait  frequently  alluded  to  above,  of  watchful 
ness  over  the  tongue,  was  one  not  easily  portrayed  for 
imitation ;  yet  it  marked  his  character,  and  doubtless 
increased  his  usefulness.  He  acted  as  if  the  inspired 
injunction  had  been  well  considered,  "By  thy  words 
shalt  thou  be  justified,  and  by  thy  words  shalt  thou  be 
condemned."  In  this  trait  we  have  doubtless  one 
reason  why  there  were  so  few  drawbacks  in  his  charac 
ter  and  influence.  The  respected  gentleman  who  was 
in  the  profession  of  law  in  Dr.  Edwards'  parish 
throughout  his  ministry,  said,  at  its  close,  that  he  did 
not  remember  hearing  any  man,  in  any  grade  of  so 
ciety,  or  in  any  circumstances,  speak  disrespectfully 
of  Dr.  Edwards.  No  man  found  an  evil  report  started 


248  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

concerning  himself,  through  the  indiscretion  of  his  pas 
tor  ;  and  though  hundreds  unbosomed  to  him  their 
trials,  perplexities,  and  sorrows,  they  rested  in  his 
own  bosom  till  the  judgment ;  and  by  this  means  he 
had  sometimes  a  wisdom  in  counselling  a  man  as  to 
what  he  believed  would  be  most  for  his  usefulness  and 
the  welfare  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  which  he 
could  not  otherwise  have  possessed.  There  were  no 
personalities  in  his  conversation  or  preaching,  though 
many  a  man  found  the  truths  he  uttered  rankling  like 
barbed  arrows  in  his  conscience. 

At  a  monthly  concert  for  prayer,  interesting  state 
ments  as  to  the  success  of  foreign  missions  had  been 
made,  and  the  usual  contributions  were  about  to  be 
received,  when  an  aged  gentleman  asked  leave  to 
state  his  views,  and  proceeded  to  urge  an  array  of  ob 
jections  against  all  foreign  missions.  As  he  sat  down, 
many  looked  for  an  able  reply  from  the  pastor ;  but 
he  simply  said,  with  great  calmness — "  The  collection 
may  be  taken  up." 

On  one  occasion  he  and  a  member  of  his  church 
heard  the  first  sermon  of  a  student  in  divinity,  who 
boldly  undertook  to  edaircise  -the  subject  of  God's 
hardening  Pharaoh's  heart ;  but  with  little  regard  to 
the  principle  that  every  part  of  Scripture  is  to  be  in 
terpreted  "  in  its  own  divinely  inspired  connection." 
As  they  were  retiring,  his  parishioner  said  to  him 
with  some  enthusiasm,  "  That  was  very  fine,  was  n't 
it ?"  " I  thought  they  had  very  good  singing"  was  the 
only  reply. 

When  the  young  pastor  of  the  new  church  in  An- 
dover  was  entering  on  his  labors,  Dr.  Edwards  inti- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  ANDOVER.  249 

mated  to  him,  that  if,  in  intercourse  with  his  people, 
remarks  should  be  made  as  to  the  location  of  the  church, 
it  would  always  be  safe  to  say  that  it  is  important  that 
a  church  should  be  located  in  the  right  place  ;  and  that 
it  is  well  for  a  minister  to  remember,  that  God  has 
given  him  two  ears,  and  but  one  tongue.  That  pastor 
has  said,  "  I  took  my  people  directly  from  Dr.  Edwards, 
and  there  was  but  one  testimony  as  to  the  acceptable- 
ness  and  usefulness  of  his  ministry.  Their  confidence 
in  his  wisdom  and  judgment  was  unbounded.  While 
I  was  a  student  in  the  Seminary,  he  was  regarded  by 
us  all  as  an  admirable  illustration  of  what  a  pastor 
should  be.  We  learned  the  theory  on  the  hill,  and 
our  eyes  turned  to  the  village  for  the  example." 

On  the  sundering  of  Dr.  Edwards'  pastoral  rela 
tions  to  the  church  in  Andover,  he  was  so  happy  as 
to  be  the  means  of  introducing  to  the  pulpit  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Milton  Badger,  in  whom  the  people  united,  and 
under  whose  labors  rich  harvests  of  souls  were  gath 
ered.  The  retiring  pastor,  (whose  permanent  residence 
continued  among  them  till  his  death,)  with  a  discretion 
not  always  exemplified,  withdrew  himself  as  much  as 
practicable  from  the  affairs  of  the  church,  that,  though 
he  loved  them  as  one  who  had  "  begotten  them  through 
the  gospel,"  they  might  speedily  transfer  their  affec 
tions  to  his  worthy  successor. 


11* 


250  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON. 

NEARLY    TWO   YEARS— 1828,  1829. 

DR.  EDWARDS,  having  resigned  his  pastoral  charge 
at  Andover,  October  1,  1827,  entered  immediately  on 
the  agency  he  had  accepted  for  the  American  Tem 
perance  Society.  But  Christians,  both  in  the  city  of 
Boston  and  in  the  city  of  New  York,  had  aroused  to 
the  duty  of  forming  new  churches  for  the  supply  of 
the  destitute  thousands  congregating  in  those  com 
mercial  centres ;  and  the  well-known  character  of  his 
pastoral  labors  at  Andover,  and  the  happy  and  con 
stantly  accumulating  results  with  which  God  had 
crowned  them,  had  fastened  their  eyes  on  him  to  give 
a  controlling  influence  to  evangelical  plans  and  enter 
prises  in  those  cities ;  while  the  fact  that  his  pastoral 
relations  had  been  sundered,  seems  to  have  given  new 
confidence,  in  each  city,  of  success  in  securing  his  ser 
vices.  At  the  same  time  his  brethren,  whom  he  had 
himself  encouraged  to  form  the  Temperance  Society, 
felt  it  to  be  indispensable  that  he  should  prosecute 
that  enterprise. 

WHAT  SHALL  HE  DO  ?  In  1805,  he  had  given  him 
self  to  Christ.  In  1806,  he  had  consecrated  all  his 
powers  to  the  ministry  and  the  upbuilding  of  his  king 
dom.  In  College  and  in  the  Theological  Seminary, 
he  had  united  with  Mills  and  Richards,  and  other  pio 
neers  of  foreign  missions,  in  looking  at  the  claims  of 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.         251 

the  world,  and  regarding  it  as  an  individual  duty  to 
labor  wherever  God  should  call,  and  seek,  by  prayer 
and  unreserved  devotion  to  his  service,  to  learn  and 
to  do  His  will.  It  had  been  clearly  the  divine  will 
that  he  should  settle  in  the  ministry  at  Andover,  and 
to  that  work  he  had  given  the  vigor  of  his  early  man 
hood:  threatening  dangers  had  been  removed;  and 
the  one  church  had  become  two,  both  firmly  estab 
lished  in  the  faith.  He  believed  that  God  had  called 
him  to  resign  the  pastoral  charge,  especially  as  the 
constant  tension  and  excitement  of  mind,  in  his  unceas 
ing  public  labors  and  responsibilities,  had  produced  a 
chronic  bilious  state  which  gave  indications  of  utter 
prostration,  without  some  change  of  life  like  that  he 
was  now  pursuing  in  the  Temperance  agency.  Yet 
the  call  from  each  of  the  two  cities  was  urgently  re 
newed:  he  had  full  confidence  in  those  engaged  in 
founding  the  new  churches  in  both  cities  ;  and  in  each 
of  the  three  enterprises  before  him  he  saw  a  field  of 
boundless  usefulness.  He  must  definitively  decide 
among  these  momentous  interests ;  and  he  had  learn 
ed,  in  his  own  words,  "  that  a  man's  wisdom  and  safe 
ty,  happiness,  duty,  and  usefulness,  consist  in  looking 
distinctly,  in  all  events,  at  the  face  of  God,  and  watch 
ing  the  indications  of  his  will  as  manifested  by  his 
providence,  for  the  simpk  purpose  of  following  it." 

The  call  from  Boston  had  been  in  his  hands  some 
weeks,  when  he  convened  a  council  of  brethren  in 
whom  he  had  confidence,  and  laid  the  whole  subject 
before  them ;  having  expressed  to  leading  men  engag 
ed  in  that  enterprise,  "a  willingness,  if  Providence 
should  permit,  to  follow  the  advice  of  that  council, 


252  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

provided  it  should  be  unanimous."  The  council,  on 
deliberation,  came  to  the  result  unanimously  that  he 
ought  to  accept  the  call  from  Boston ;  and  after  further 
delay,  and  receiving  also  applications  that  he  would 
consent  to  be  elected  as  Secretary  of  the  American 
Home  Missionary  Society,  and  as  Professor  of  Divinity 
in  Hamilton  College ;  and  after  holding  another  seri 
ous  consultation  with  esteemed  brethren,  he  accepted 
the  call  from  Boston,  and  negatived  that  from  New 
York,  as  follows : 

"  To  Messrs.  J.  C.  PROCTOR,  L.  P.  GROSVENOR,  T).  GREEN,  D.  SAF- 
FORD,  S.  TENNEY,  E.  PALMER,  Committee  of  Salem  Church, 
Boston. 

"ANDOVER,  Dec.  3, 1827. 

"  DEAR  BRETHREN — The  invitation  which  you  gave 
me  to  become  your  pastor,  I  have  made  the  subject  of 
attentive  and  prayerful  consideration.  I  have  endeav 
ored  by  all  suitable  means  to  learn  the  will  of  God  ; 
and  in  accordance  with  the  advice  of  friends,  and 
what  appear  to  be  the  indications  of  Providence,  I 
now  accept  your  invitation,  and  consent,  with  the  di 
vine  leave,  to  take  the  oversight  of  you  in  the  Lord. 

"In  doing  this,  I  am  not  insensible  of  my  amazing 
responsibility,  and  of  the  momentous  consequences 
which  may  result,  both  to  you  and  to  me.  1  ask  an 
interest  in  all  your  prayers,  that  I  may  come  to  you 
in  the  fulness  of  the  blessings  of  the  gospel,  deter 
mined  to  know  nothing  among  you,  save  Jesus  Christ 
and  him  crucified ;  that  my  labors  may  spring  from 
love  to  Him,  and  love  to  you,  be  attended  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven,  and  be  the  wisdom  and 
the  power  of  God  to  your  salvation,  and  that  of  your 
children. 


HIS  MINISTRY'IN  BOST 

"  Commending  you,  and  myself,  unto" 
able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly  for  us,  above  all  that 
we  ask  or  think,  according  to  the  riches  of  grace  in 
Christ  Jesus, 

"  I  am?  dear  brethren,  most  cordially, 
"  Yours  in  the  Lord, 

«J.  EDWARDS." 

4'To  Messrs.  A.  TAPPAN,  E.  LORD,  J.  WHEELWRIGHT,  JAMES  BROWN, 
and  MOSES  ALLEN,  Committee,  etc.,  for  building  a  new  Church  in 
the  city  of  New  York  : 

"  BOSTON,  Dec.  13, 1827. 

"  DEAR  BRETHREN — Yours  of  the  3d  inst.  came  to 
hand  on  the  7th,  the  very  day  on  which  my  answer 
in  the  affirmative,  which  had  already  been  sent,  was 
communicated  to  the  Salem  church,  Boston.  The 
object  in  which  you  are  engaged  has  a  magnitude,  and 
I  view  it  with  an  intensity  of  interest,  which  no  lan 
guage  can  describe.  A  church  such  as  you  propose, 
if  properly  manned,  and  under  the  divine  guidance  and 
blessing,  must  in  its  effects  be  felt  not  only  through 
your  city,  and  through  our  country,  but  through  the 
world. 

"  The  reason  why  I  cannot  comply  with  your  re 
quest  is,  not  any  doubt  as  to  the  importance  and  prac 
ticability  of  the  object,  nor  any  doubt  but  that  my 
temporal  wants  and  that  of  my  family  would  in  New 
York  meet  a  ready  and  an  abundant  supply ;  nor  is 
it  any  want  of  interest  in  your  object,  or  of  desire  to 
render  you  all  the  assistance  in  my  power,  consistently 
with  following  the  will  of  God ;  but  it  is  the  fact, 
that  in  my  view,  and  in  the  view  of  those  with  whom 
I  take  counsel,  he  assigns  me  other  labors.  I  should 
feel  as  if  I  were  going  before  Providence,  and  also 


254  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

endangering  many  precious  interests  which  seem  to 
be  committed  to  my  hands,  were  I,  in  my  present  situ 
ation,  to  comply  with  your  request.  *  *  * 

"  I  have  looked  at  the  whole  subject,  as  carefully 
as  my  limited  time  and  great  pressure  of  business 
would  permit ;  have  asked  counsel  of  our  wisest  and 
best  men,  and  have  endeavored  to  carry  the  whole 
subject,  and  every  thing  pertaining  to  it,  to  the  Lord ; 
to  lay  all  at  his  feet,  and  follow  his  direction.  And  I 
have  come  to  the  result  which  I  have  communicated. 

"But  it  grieves  me,  my  brethren,  while  it  almost 
overwhelms  me  with  a  conviction  of  responsibility, 
that  such  an  object,  so  noble  in  its  origin,  so  heavenly 
in  its  nature,  and  so  boundless  in  its  results,  .should 
for  a  moment  seem,  even  to  you,  to  be  suspended  on 
my  decision,  or  the  decision  of  any  one  man.  Is  it 
not  the  Lord's  work ;  and  as  he  has  in  his  providence 
rendered  it  unsuitable  for  me,  in  my  present  situation, 
to  comply  with  your  request,  can  it  not,  ought  it  not, 
must  it  not  go  forward  in  humble  dependence  on  Him 
and  with  a  single  eye  to  his  glory,  without  me  ?  Ought 
you  not,  as  they  have  done  in  Boston,  to  commence 
the  work  without  delay,  and  prosecute  it  with  untiring 
vigor  and  perseverance,  for  the  sake  of  glorifying 
God ;  putting  your  trust  in  Him,  and  expecting,  when 
the  house  is  completed,  that  God  will  provide  a  minis 
ter,  open  the  way  for  him  to  come  among  you  in  the 
fulness  of  the  blessings  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and 
make  him  an  instrument  of  your  salvation  and  that 
of  your  children,  and  of  multitudes  in  your  great  and 
growing  city,  throughout  our  whole  country,  and 
throughout  the  world? 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  255 

"  Brethren,  I  commend  you  to  God,  who  is  able 
and  willing  to  guide  and  to  bless  ;  and  to  do  exceeding 
abundantly  for  you,  above  all  that  you  ask  or  think, 
according  to  the  riches  of  grace  and  glory  in  Christ 
Jesus. 

"  That  you  may  have  much  of  the  divine  presence, 
and  be  led  forth  in  the  right  way,  is  the  fervent  and 
habitual  prayer  of  your  unworthy,  but  most  cordial 
brother  in  Christ, 

"J  EDWARDS." 

On  Tuesday,  January  1,  1828,  he  was  installed 
first  pastor  of  the  "Salem  church/'  just  erected  in 
Salem-street,  in  the  north  and  more  destitute  part  of 
Boston.  In  entering  on  his  labors  in  this  new  field, 
he  again  gave  special  attention  to  pastoral  visitation ; 
and  as  he  did  on  his  settlement  in  Andover,  began 
brief  memoranda  of  the  families  visited,  with  a  notice 
of  the  manner  in  which  he  employed  each  day.  These 
memoranda  were  continued  about  two  months,  and 
show  with  what  self-denying,  unwearied  fidelity,  and 
Christian  hope,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  fulfilment 
of  the  high  responsibilities  he  had  assumed.  He  be 
gins  by  committing  himself  to  God  in  Jesus  Christ. 

"  In  the  great  and  momentous  work  which  is  before 
me,  I  would  go  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord  God  ;  and 
in  humble  reliance  on  Him  who  is  the  propitiation  for 
my  sins  and  the  sins  of  the  world,  who  is  my  advocate 
with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous,  would  I 
commit  myself  and  all  my  interests,  mortal  and  immor 
tal,  to  his  infinitely  wise  and  good  disposal. 

"  Prepare  me,  0  Lord,  for  whatever  is  before  me 
in  thy  providence.  Grant  me  thy  holy  presence  at 


256  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

all  times.  In  thy  light  may  I  see  light ;  by  thy  wis 
dom  be  wise  ;  in  thy  strength  be  strong,  and  with  thy 
Consolations  be  greatly  comforted.  Grant  me  at  all 
times  supreme  devotion  to  thyself,  holy  confidence  in 
thy  Son,  and  an  ardent  desire  for  the  indwelling  and 
the  teaching,  guidance,  and  blessing  of  the  Holy  Spir 
it.  Grant  me  ardent  love  to  souls,  a  deep  and  abid 
ing  conviction  of  their  ruin  by  sin,  and  a  willingness 
to  spend  and  be  spent  for  their  salvation. 

"In  reading  thy  holy  word,  open  thou  mine  eyes 
to  behold  the  wondrous  things  contained  in  thy  law. 
Illuminate  my  understanding,  purify  my  affections, 
subdue  my  will,  and  grant  that  all  my  powers  of  body 
and  of  soul  may  be  brought  into  sweet  and  humble  sub 
jection  to  thee.  Make  me  mighty  in  the  Scriptures ; 
may  I  love  them  more  than  thousands  of  gold  and  sil 
ver  ;  and  find  in  keeping  thy  commands  great  reward. 

"In  preparing  to  preach,  guide  me,  I  beseech  thee, 
as  to  subjects,  and  the  manner  of  treating  them  •  and 
enable  me  to  bring  forth  from  the  treasures  of  revela 
tion  things  new  and  old.  May  I  determine  to  know 
nothing  among  this  people,  'save  Jesus  Christ  and 
him  crucified.7  Give  me,  I  entreat  thee,  for  his  sake, 
enlarged  views  of  his  infinite  excellence,  loveliness, 
and  glory,  and  enable  me  to  open  with  great  clearness 
his  unsearchable  riches ;  and  0,  grant  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  may  take  of  the  things  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
show  them  to  men ;  that  my  labors  may  be  attended 
with  an  influence  from  on  high,  and  be  '  the  wisdom 
of  God,  and  the  power  of  God/  to  the  salvation  of 
many. 

"Remember  the  prayers  which  have  been  offered 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  257 

on  this  spot  by  those  who  through  faith  and  patience 
now  inherit  the  promises,  and  answer  them  in  rich 
and  abundant  blessings  on  their  descendants.  Hear 
the  prayers  which  may  be  offered  by  those  whose 
hearts'  desire  is,  that  sinners  may  be  saved ;  and  show 
them  that  every  one  that  asketh  receiveth,  that  he 
that  seeketh  findeth,  and  that  to  him  that  knocketh 
the  door  is  opened ;  and  may  our  eyes  see  thy  salva 
tion,  and  our  hearts  rejoice  in  thy  love. 

"Guide  me,  0  God,  in  conversation  with  all  to 
whom  I  may  be  called  to  speak ;  and  may  I  speak  at 
all  times  according  to  the  lively  oracles,  and  my 
words  be  with  grace,  that  they  may  be  to  the  salvation 
of  the  hearers.  Guide  me  in  visiting  the  sick,  the 
sorrowful,  and  dying;  and  grant  me  thy  presence, 
that  I  may  know  how  I  ought  to  address  every  man. 
Guide  me  in  all  my  conduct,  and  in  every  thing  may 
I  act  for  eternity,  glorify  God,  and  be  honored  as  a 
chosen  instrument  in  thy  hand  of  honoring  the  Sav 
iour.  In  consultation  with  my  brethren  in  the  minis 
try,  make  me  wise ;  may  I  discern  with  great  clear 
ness  the  '  signs  of  the  times/  and  the  will  of  God,  and 
be  a  helper  of  their  faith,  activity,  and  joy.  In  every 
action  and  situation,  0  God,  be  with  me.  I  am  weak, 
ignorant,  and  guilty ;  leave  me  not,  and  suffer  me  not 
to  trust  to  my  own  understanding,  but  to  the  living 
God ;  and  may  I  find  by  blessed  experience  that  such 
as  trust  in  thee  are  '  as  mount  Zion,  which  cannot  be 
moved,  but  abideth  for  ever;'  that  thou  dost  keep 
those  in  perfect  peace  whose  minds  are  stayed  on  thee, 
and  that  such  as  seek  thee  do  not  in  fact  want  any 
good  thing, 


253  REV.  JUSTIN    EDWARDS,   D.  D. 

"  Bless  him  who  has  been  called  in  thy  providence 
to  take  the  oversight  of  my  former  people.  Be  with 
him  and  grant  him  all  the  blessings  which  I  can  ask 
for  my  own.  Give  him,  I  beseech  thee,  all  their  souls 
as  seals  of  his  ministry,  and  their  children  as  jewels 
in  his  crown  of  future  joy. 

"Pour  out  thy  Spirit  in  rich  effusions  upon  all  this 
city,  the  city  of  our  solemnities,  the  place  of  our  fa 
thers'  sepulchres.  '  0  Lord,  revive  thy  work/  and  cause 
that  all  this  people  may  come  to  the  knowledge  of 
thee,  and  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  is  life  eternal.  Cause 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  to  triumph  in  every  place 
throughout  our  land,  that  this  land  may  in  every  part 
be  Immanuers,  a  mountain  of  holiness,  and  a  habita 
tion  of  righteousness ;  that  the  triumphs  of  his  cross 
may  be  extended  to  every  land,  and  that  all  flesh  may 
speedily  see  his  salvation.  0  God,  fill  my  heart  with 
thy  love,  and  my  mouth  shall  declare  thy  praise." 

On  the  day  of  the  installation  he  attended  a  meet 
ing  at  Hon.  Samuel  Hubbard's,  "to  consult  concerning 
Pine-street  church,  and  the  church  in  Cambridge- 
port,"  and  in  the  evening  addressed  his  people  from, 
"  Brethren,  pray  for  us." 

The  next  day  he  went  to  Andover,  where  he  says, 
"  I  attended  the  examination  and  ordination  of  Rev. 
Milton  Badger,  who  was  installed  pastor  of  my  former 
church  and  people.  May  the  Lord  grant  him  his  holy 
presence,  and  make  him  the  means  of  salvation  to 
them  and  their  children ;  and  make  me  truly  grateful 
that  he  has  kept  them  united  in  such  a  wonderful 
manner,  and  so  kindly  sent  them  a  man  who  appears  to 
be  a  man  of  prayer  and  supreme  devotion  to  Christ. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  259 

May  the  Lord  make  him  wise,  faithful,  and  abundantly 
successful.  The  day  was  most  interesting  to  me. 
Had  enlarged  views  of  the  all-sufficiency,  glory,  and 
love  of  Christ ;  and  was  encouraged,  in  view  of  my 
great  work,  to  trust  in  him,  and  to  expect  to  see  his 
salvation.  0  let  me  never  lose  sight  of  his  infinite 
glory,  but  always  trust  in  him,  and  find  that  his  grace 
is  sufficient  for  me."  Returning  from  the  installation, 
he  says,  "Had  on  the  way  an  unusual  sense  of  the 
goodness  of  God,  especially  as  a  prayer-hearing  God, 
and  of  the  great  importance  of  praying  for  destitute 
churches,  that  he  would  send  them  pastors  after  his 
own  heart." 

On  the  next  day,  he  says,  "  Preached  in  the  even 
ing,  preparatory  to  the  communion ;  subject,  '  A  just 
God,  and  a  Saviour/  as  illustrated  in  the  Bible,  the 
dealings  of  God,  and  especially  in  the  death  of  Christ. 
A  full  meeting,  and  interesting.  0  Lord,  follow  it 
with  thy  blessing.  Grant  that  it  may  be  found  that 
some  souls  received  impressions  which  will  never  be 
effaced,  and  which  shall,  through  grace,  be  connected 
with  their  salvation." 

The  next  day  he  says,  "  Attended  a  meeting  at  the 
missionary  rooms  for  consultation  as  to  the  monthly 
concert  of  prayer,  and  it  was  agreed  to  have  three 
meetings  in  the  city,  instead  of  one  as  heretofore :  one 
at  Park-street  church,  one  at  Pine-street,  and  one  at 
Salem  church.  The  Lord  grant  his  presence  in  those 
meetings,  and  make  them  the  means  of  salvation  to 
those  who  attend,  and  to  the  heathen." 

The  next  day,  the  first  Sabbath  after  his  installa 
tion,  he  says,  "  Preached  morning  and  afternoon  ;  the 


260  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

house  full  to  overflowing.  At  the  close,  the  three 
deacons  were  consecrated  to  their  office,  and  the  Lord's 
supper  was  administered.  Preached  in  the  evening; 
house  crowded.  0  Lord,  follow  the  truths  spoken 
with  the  illuminating  and  purifying  influences  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  make  them  '  the  wisdom  of  God  and 
the  power  of  God'  to  the  salvation  of  many  souls,  and 
the  glory  shall  be  thine." 

The  next  day,  "  Attended  a  meeting  with  ministers 
of  Boston  and  others  for  prayer  and  consultation,  and 
the  monthly  concert  in  Salem  church  in  the  evening. 
0  Lord,  follow  these  services  with  thy  blessing ; 
grant  me  at  all  times  thy  holy  presence,  and  furnish 
me  for  thy  whole  will." 

On  January  9,  his  memorandum  is,  "  In  the  morn 
ing,  preparing  sermon.  Attended  the  installation  of 
Eev.  Howard  Malcom  at  the  Federal-street  Baptist 
church  ;  and  a  meeting  of  the  Committee  of  the  Mas 
sachusetts  Missionary  Society.  In  the  evening,  a  meet 
ing  of  boys  for  religious  inquiry  at  Mr.  G.'s.  0  Lord, 
increase,  I  beseech  thee,  the  number  of  those  youth 
who  shall  seek  thee  with  the  whole  heart,  and  find 
thee  as  their  hope  and  portion  for  ever." 

The  next  day,  he  "  attended  a  meeting  of  the  Ex 
ecutive  Committee  of  the  American  Temperance  So 
ciety  at  Mr.  Odiorne's,"  and  the  following  day  "a 
meeting  at  Mr.  John  Tappan's,  for  consultation  on  the 
subject  of  publishing  a  religious  magazine,"  which  was 
not  long  after  commenced  under  the  title,  "  The  Spirit 
of  the  Pilgrims,"  Dr.  Edwards  being  one  of  the  Pub 
lishing  Committee. 

On  Sabbath,  January  13,  he  preached  morning 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  261 

and  afternoon,  and  says,  "  In  the  evening  attended  an 
inquiring  meeting.  About  sixty  attended.  0  may 
they  all  be  saved,  and  greater  and  greater  numbers 
attend,  and  obtain  eternal  life." 

The  daily  memoranda  proceed:  noticing  pastoral 
visits ;  supplying  children  with  books  and  tracts ; 
conversation  with  persons  on  the  state  of  their  souls, 
and  with  particular  individuals  in  affliction,  or  in 
spiritual  perplexity  and  darkness  •  meeting  the  mem 
bers  of  the  church  for  special  prayer ;  meeting  the 
pastors  for  prayer  and  conference ;  the  preparation  of 
sermqns  ;  consultations  as  to  the  new  magazine ;  the 
concert  of  prayer  for  colleges  •  the  interests  of  religion 
in  places  around  Boston,  and  other  evangelical  enter 
prises  ;  and  kindred  labors,  interspersed  with  ejacula 
tions  fbr  the  divine  presence  and  blessing. 

"Dwell,  0  Lord,  I  beseech  thee,  in  the  midst  of 
this  church  for  good,  and  bestow  upon  them  and 
around  them  the  rich  blessings  of  thy  grace.'7 

"  Great  God,  forgive,  I  beseech  thee,  all  my  sins, 
and  follow  with  thy  blessing  my  labors  this  after 
noon  ;  lead to  thyself,  and  make  him  an  instru 
ment  of  eternal  good  to  many  souls ;  sanctify  the  af 
flictions  of  S ,  and  make  them  the  means  of  her 

salvation.'7  "  Lord,  remember  that  young  woman,  and 
lead  her  to  repentance  and  faith  in  Christ." 

"  0  Lord,  bless  each  of  those  persons  with  whom 
I  have  conversed,  and  to  whom  I  have  distributed 
tracts.  Let  thy  Spirit,  I  beseech  thee,  impress  thy 
truth  upon  their  hearts." 

"  0  Lord,  incline  many  to  assemble  and  hear  the 
gospel,  'the  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed  God.7  Pre- 


262  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

pare  me  to  address  them  'in  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit,  and  with  power/  Assist  me,  0  God,  with  thy 
presence." 

"0  Lord,  let  thy  Spirit  descend  on  B ,"  (a 

neighboring  village  where  he  had  gone  out  to  preach 
on  a  Friday  evening,)  "take  of  the  things  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  show  them  to  that  people,  and  work  a 
mighty  work  of  grace  among  them." 

"  Follow  with  thy  blessing,  0  God,  I  beseech  thee, 
the  labors  of  this  day,  and  guide  me  at  all  times  by 
wisdom  from  above  ;  forgive  all  my  sins,  and  assist  me, 
through  Jesus  Christ.  Multiply  convictions  and  con 
versions  abundantly,  and  the  glory  shall  be  thine." 

Among  the  powerful,  heart-searching  sermons  to 
which  Dr.  Edwards'  congregation  in  Boston  listened 
with  deep  interest,  was  that  from  the  text,  "Ye  have 
AN  UNCTION  FROM  THE  HOLY  ONE,  and  ye  know  all 
things,"  which  was  published  in  the  National  Preacher 
for  June,  1830.  Its  aim  is  to  show  that  those  who 
are  savingly  taught  by  the  anointing  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  have  a  spiritual  understanding  of  the  great  truths 
of  the  gospel,  of  which  all  other  men,  however  moral,  or 
learned,  or  refined,  are  ignorant;  and  "  this  teaching  con 
sists  in  leading  them  rightly  to  apprehend  and  suita 
bly  to  feel  the  force  of  the  truths  revealed  in  the  Bible." 
Those  thus  taught,  see  that  God  has  revealed  that 
"  the  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperately 
wicked" — that  this  is  a  state  of  sin  and  death — that 
without  a  great  change,  called  in  Scripture  being 
"born  again,"  no  man  can  be  saved — that  in  God  is 
their  "help" — that  "other  foundation  can  no  man  lay, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  263 

than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ " — that  "  who 
soever  believeth  on  Him  shall  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life77 — they  feel  that  unto  them  "that 
believe,  He  is  precious,77  and  their  hearts  respond  to 
his  words,  "  Ye  are  not  your  own,  ye  are  bought  with 
a  price ;  therefore  glorify  God  in  your  body  and  in 
your  spirit,  which  are  God7s.77 

"Hence  you  see  them,  in  seasons  of  trial,  not  count 
ing  even  life  dear  to  them;  but  counting  all  things 
but  loss,  that  they  might  win  Christ,  and  be  found  of 
Him  in  peace.  In  short,  the  whole  Bible  becomes  to 
such  persons  the  testimony  of  God ;  which  is  therefore 
believed;  and  to  a  great  extent  is  illustrated  and 
confirmed  in  their  own  experience.  And  when  these 
truths  are  known  by  experience,  they  have  a  reality,  a 
fulness,  and  a  power,  of  which  before  they  had  no 
conception. 

"  The  man  who  feels  the  heat  of  fire,  has  a  very 
different  conception  from  the  man  who  only  hears 
about  it,  or  reads  concerning  it,  or  only  stands  at  a 
distance  and  looks  at  it.  His  conceptions  are  cold ; 
and  when  shivering  under  the  blasts  of  winter,  they 
do  him  no  good.  He  may  have  read  about  fire,  he 
may  have  seen  it,  may  have  disputed  about  its  proper 
ties,  and  may  have  thought,  perhaps,  that  he  was 
acquainted  with  it ;  but  when  he  comes  near  and 
receives  its  genial  warmth,  and  still  nearer,  and  feels 
its  penetrating  heat,  it  has  a  reality,  it  has  a  pungency, 
of  which  before  he  had  no  conception.  My  word, 
saith  God,  is  a  fire,  and  a  hammer ;  it  breaketh  the 
rock  in  pieces.  The  man  who  feels  it  has  a  totally 
different  conception  from  the  man  who  only  hears 


264  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

about  it,  or  reads  concerning  it,  or  reasons  and  dis 
putes  about  it.  The  conceptions  of  the  latter  are  cold 
and  heartless,  and  leave  him  dead  in  sin.  The  mo 
mentous  truths  of  the  Bible  may  appear  to  him  like 
fables ;  may  pass  by  him  unheeded,  and  leave  upon 
his  heart  no  permanent  impression  •  while,  to  the  real 
Christian,  who  has  been  taught  them  by  '  an  unction 
from  the  Holy  One/  and  who  receives  them  in  love, 
they  have  a  reality,  and  they  have  a  fulness  and 
power,  which  stamp  upon  the  Bible,  and  upon  his 
heart,  the  impress  of  God. 

"  True  religion  begins  with  experience.  The  know 
ledge  which  real  Christians  have  is  taught  them,  not 
merely  by  men,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  attended 
with  a  permanent  conviction  that  this  knowledge  is 
from  God.  Hence  they  will  not,  for  any  opposite 
errors,  renounce  it. 

"  These  things  cannot  be  said  of  the  opposite  sen 
timents.  Eeal  Christians  cannot  find  them  in  the 
Bible.  They  do  not  describe  their  true  condition 
as  sinners  j  they  do  not  meet  their  wants.  To  remove 
this  difficulty,  you  may  try  to  show  them  that  they 
have  no  such  wants  as  they  suppose — that  they  have 
been  among  the  enthusiastic,  and  are  deluded.  And 
upon  this  subject  you  may  reason  with  great  learning 
and  acuteness ;  but  their  wants  are  not  matters  of 
mere  speculation,  but  of  feeling. 

"  A  man  before  you  is  starving,  and  you  feed  him 
on  the  east  wind.  He  tells  you  that  it  does  not  satisfy 
him — that  he  wants  food.  You  try  to  show  him  that 
he  has  no  such  want — that  he  has  been  among  hungry 
men,  and  is  deluded.  You  reason  with  great  learn- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  265 

ing  and  acuteness ;  and  if  he  is  not  a  learned  man,  he 
may  not  find  it  easy  to  answer  you.  But  his  wants 
are  matters,  not  of  reasoning,  though  there  is  good 
reason  for  them :  they  are  matters  of  feeling,  and 
when  a  man  feels  pain,  you  cannot  convince  him  that 
he  has  none.  What  he  wants  is  ease,  not  proof  that 
he  has  no  pain ;  on  that  point  he  has  proof  enough, 
and  proof  which  will  for  ever  convince  him,  all  your 
reasoning  and  efforts  to  the  contrary  notwithstand 
ing. 

"A  man  is  in  agony  under  the  pangs  of  conscious 
guilt  in  not  having  believed  on  the  Saviour.  What 
he  needs  is  pardonr  not  proof  that  he  has  no  guilt ; 
on  that  point  he  has  proof  enough,  and  proof  which 
will  carry  overwhelming  and  eternal  conviction  to 
his  mind,  though  all  the  rest  of  creation  should 
doubt  it. 

"Suppose  you  undertake  to  prove  to  real  Chris 
tians,  that  they  have  never  had  a  carnal  mind,  or  that 
the  carnal  mind  is  not  enmity  against  God  ;  how  can 
you  make  them  believe  it  ?  What  revelation  has  God 
given  to  men  but  the  Bible?  and  where  in  the  Bible 
is  it  written,  that  when  God  looked  down  from  heaven 
to  see  if  there  were  any  that  did  understand  and  seek 
him,  he  found  that  there  were  some  that  had  not  the 
carnal  mind,  or  that  the  carnal  mind  is  not  enmity 
against  God?  And  how  can  you  make  this  accord 
with  their  experience?  They  were  ten,  twenty,  per 
haps  fifty  years,  supremely  devoted  to  themselves  and 
the  world.  How  can  you  show  them  that  they  were 
all  this  time  not  at  enmity  with  God  ?  Not  from  the 
Bible  ;  this  declares, '  They  have  rebelled  against  me.' 

Edwards.  1 2 


266  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

Not  from  their  own  feelings;  these  cry,  'Pardon  mine 
iniquity,  for  it  is  great.7  Now,  if  all  other  men  should 
declare  that  they  never  had  carnal  minds,  or  that  the 
carnal  mind  is  not  enmity  to  God,  Christians  will  not 
believe  it ;  they  know  it  to  be  false. 

"  Try,  if  you  will,  to  make  them  believe  that  they 
do  not  deserve  to  perish  ;  and  that  if  they  should  perish 
with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  and  the  glory  of  his  power,  God  would  be 
unjust ;  and  in  their  view  you  contradict  the  Bible ; 
and  you  contradict  also  their  own  feelings,  and  that 
knowledge  of  themselves  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath 
given  them. 

"  Try  to  make  them  believe  that  they  do  not  need 
the  special  influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  when 
they  are  quaking  in  fearful  apprehension  under  con 
scious  guilt,  crying,  Who  will  take  away  the  heart  of 
stone,  and  give  a  heart  of  flesh  ?  or  who  shall  deliver 
us  from  the  body  of  this  death  ?  direct  them  to  them 
selves,  or  to  creatures,  as  their  only  hope,  and  you 
only  mock  their  anguish.  '  Miserable  comforters  are 
ye  all.'  But  when  they  hear  a  voice  from  the  throne, 
saying,  1 1  will  take  away  the  heart  of  stone,  and  give 
a  heart  of  flesh ;  and  from  all  your  filthiness,  and  from 
all  your  idols,  will  I  cleanse  you ;'  and  experience  the 
truth  of  these  declarations,  they  cry,  '  Thanks  be  to 
God,  who  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.' 

"This  inflexible  firmness,  this  persevering  adher 
ence  to  sacred  truth,  which  real  Christians  manifest, 
notwithstanding  all  the  improvements  which  men 
imagine  they  have  made,  is  thought  by  some  to  result 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  267 

from  ignorance.  They  hold,  it  is  said,  to  that  old  way, 
because  they  do  not  know  any  better.  And  it  is  a 
fact  that  they  do  not  know  any  better ;  and  so  long 
as  they  continue  to  have  '  an  unction  from  the  Holy 
One/  they  never  will.  But  though  they  trust  to  the 
wisdom  of  another,  yet  they  know  something;  and 
something  too,  which  is  '  hid  from  many  wise  and 
prudent,  and  revealed  unto  babes.7  Others,  however, 
do  not  think  that  they  hold  to  this  old  way  because 
they  are  ignorant,  but  because  they  are  bigoted.  They 
have,  say  some,  been  taught  it,  and  they  never  will 
renounce  what  they  have  been  taught.  They  have  been 
taught  it.  This  is  what  the  apostle  declares ;  but 
who  was  their  teacher  ?  Let  the  apostle  answer,  '  Ye 
have  an  unction  from  the  Holy  One.'  He  was  their 
teacher,  and  they  will  not  give  up  what  he  has  taught 
them. 

"  Two  things  are  peculiar  to  the  Holy  Ghost  as  a 
teacher :  his  disciples  will  believe  him;  and  what  he 
teaches  they  will  never  renounce:  though  they  should  be 
tempted,  or  sawn  asunder,  or  slain  with  the  sword,  or 
have  to  wander  about  in  sheep-skins,  and  goat-skins, 
destitute,  afflicted,  and  tormented,  on  account  of  their 
faith,  yet  they  will  not  renounce  it. 

"It  is  not  strange  that  different  men,  with  the 
same  external  means,  have  very  different  views  about 
the  gospel,  and  very  different  feelings  towards  it. 
Take,  for  instance,  the  doctrine  of  human  depravity. 
If  one  man  feels  it,  and  when  he  looks  into  himself, 
finds  that  he  is  actually  poor  and  wretched,  miserable, 
blind,  and  naked,  in  want  of  all  things ;  and  another 
man,  when  he  looks  into  himself,  imagines  that  he  is 


268  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

rich,  and  increased  in  goods,  and  has  need  of  nothing  ; 
it  is  not  strange  that  the  one  believes  the  doctrine  of 
human  depravity,  and  the  other  rejects  it.  Just  give 
to  that  man  the  same  kind  of  evidence  which  the  other 
has ;  let  him  look  again  into  himself,  his  mind  being 
enlightened  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  '  discern  spiritual 
things/  in  a  spiritual  manner ;  and  let  him  find,  as 
thousands  have  found,  that  instead  of  being,  as  he 
supposed,  rich,  and  increased  in  goods,  and  in  need  of 
nothing,  he  is  actually  poor  and  wretched,  miserable, 
blind,  and  naked,  and  in  want  of  all  things ;  and  he 
too  will  believe  the  doctrine  of  human  depravity.  He 
will  feel  it,  and  thus  know  that  it  is  true.  What  the 
man  needs  may  be  neither  learning,  nor  talents,  nor 
opportunities,  but  an  humble  spirit,  receiving  the 
truth  as  God  has  revealed  it.  He  needs  faith — that 
faith  which  is  '  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,  and 
the  evidence  of  things  not  seen.'  If  one  man  has  this, 
and  another  has  not,  it  is  not  strange  that  they  should 
differ  in  their  views  about  the  truths  of  the  Bible  ; 
and  in  their  feelings  towards  them.  It  would  be  un 
accountable  if  it  were  not  so. 

"Hence  we  see  the  reason  why  children  and  poor 
persons,  persons  of  little  learning  and  small  abilities, 
sometimes  embrace  the  gospel,  appear  clearly  to  un 
derstand  it,  and  deeply  to  feel  its  truths.  It  is  because 
the  Holy  Ghost  can  and  does  teach  them  as  really  as 
others.  The  truths  of  the  gospel  are  adapted  to  their 
condition,  and  exactly  meet  their  wants.  They  can 
understand  them. 

"  The  little  child,  when  weeping  over  the  wicked 
ness  of  his  own  heart,  in  godly  sorrow  and  true  peni- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  2G9 

tence,  understands  the  doctrine  of  depravity  as  really 
as  a  man ;  and  more  so,  unless  the  man  has  been 
taught  it  in  the  same  way,  by  feeling  it.  And  that 
child  may  pray  as  sincerely,  '  Create  in  me  a  clean 
heart,  0  God,  and  renew  a  right  spirit  within  me/  'as 
any  man  on  earth.  And  he  may  turn  from  sin,  look 
to  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  believe  on  him,  love  him,  and 
obey  him ;  Christ  may  be  formed  in  him  the  hope  of 
glory,  be  all  his  salvation  and  all  his  desire,  and  be 
the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to  him,  as  truly 
as  if  he  were  the  greatest  philosopher  on  earth.  The 
reason  is,  the  gospel,  the  glorious  gospel  of  God  our 
Saviour,  is  adapted,  not  merely  to  adult  sinners,  or 
to  learned  sinners,  or  sinners  of  great  talents,  but  to 
sinners  of  every  class.  '  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that 
labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest. 
Learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart,  and 
ye  shall  find  rest  to  your  souls/ 

"  We  see  also  the  reason  why  some  men,  with  the 
Bible  in  their  hands,  are  '  ever  learning,  and  yet  never 
come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.'  They  do  not 
feel  their  need  of  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
They  perhaps  do  not  believe  '  that  there  is  any  Holy 
Ghost.7  They  do  not  seek  his  teaching.  They  do 
not  obtain  it ;  and  the  truths  which  he  has  revealed, 
they  do  not  believe.  Hence,  they  grope  in  darkness 
at  noonday,  and  stumble  as  in  the  night. 

"If  Christians,  to  whom  the  gospel  has  come,  not 
in  word  only,  but  in  power,  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  in 
much  assurance,  would  have  others  embrace  it,  and  in 
such  a  manner  that  they  will  never  renounce  it,  but 
be  sanctified  and  saved  with  an  eternal  salvation; 


270  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

while  they  use  all  suitable  means  to  convey  divine 
truth  to  their  minds,  they  must  depend  for  success 
upon  'an  unction  from  the  Holy  One.'  And  for  this 
he  'will  be  inquired  of;'  he  will  be  sought  unto. 
Hence  Christians,  while  they  make  all  possible  efforts 
to  convey  divine  truth  to  the  minds  of  men,  should  at 
the  same  time  abound  in  prayer.  '  Paul  may  plant  and 
Apollos  water,  but  God  giveth  the  increase.'  Nor  is 
this  the^  least  discouragement  either  to  effort  or  to 
prayer ;  it  is  rather  the  grand  encouragement  to  both  : 
for  would  any  of  you,  being  a  father,  should  a  famish 
ing  child  ask  bread,  give  him  a  stone  ?  or  should  he 
ask  a  fish,  would  you  give  him  a  serpent  ?  '  If  ye  then, , 
being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  to  your  chil 
dren,  how  much  more  shall  your  Father  in  heaven 
give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him?' 

"  Let  then  Christians,  who  have  '  an  unction  from 
the  Holy  One,'  of  every  denomination  and  of  every 
name,  use  the  means  of  God's  appointment,  and  there 
is  no  insuperable  difficulty  in  the  way  of  the  conver 
sion  of  sinners,  or  of  a  revival  of  true  religion,  which 
shall  not  stop  till  it  has  extended  to  every  district 
and  state  and  kingdom,  and  has  reached  every  fam 
ily  and  every  individual  on  the  globe.  Give  each  a 
Bible ;  let  him  daily  read  it,  and  listen  to  it  as  the 
voice  of  Jehovah ;  let  the  gospel,  '  the  glorious  gospel 
of  the  blessed  God,'  be  preached,  in  purity  and  with 
power,  to  every  creature  •  let  prayer,  believing,  effec 
tual,  fervent  prayer,  ascend  without  ceasing ;  and  in 
answer,  let  there  be  given  to  all  people  'an  unction 
from  the  Holy  One,'  and  there  would  be  a  mourning 
for  sin  all  over  the  earth ;  and  then,  let  the  Lord 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  271 

Jesus  Christ  be  proclaimed  as  the  only  hope  of  glory, 
and  every  heart  would  embrace  him,  the  song  of  sal 
vation  would  echo  from  sea  to  sea,  and  the  whole 
earth  join  the  blessed  anthem,  'To  the  Lamb  that  was 
slain,  and  hath  redeemed  us  to  God  by  his  blood.7 " 

We  well  remember,  as  do  many  others,  hearing 
this  sermon  on  the  "  Unction  from  the  Holy  One,"  as 
he  preached  it  before  the  New  Hampshire  General 
Association  of  Clergymen,  at  their  meeting  in  the 
east  parish  of  Londonderry,  now  Derry,  September  7, 
1824.  The  clergymen  assembled,  in  their  harmony,  and 
fervent  prayers  that  their  meeting  might  be  blessed  to 
their  own  increased  spirituality  and  usefulness  in  the 
ministry,  and  especially  to  the  reviving  of  the  work 
of  the  Lord  in  the  congregation  among  whom  they 
met,  set  an  example  worthy  of  imitation  by  clerical 
bodies  throughout  the  world.  The  godly  and  lamented 
Rev.  Samuel  Green,  of  Boston,  was  also  present,  and 
preached  as  if  endued  with  power  from  on  high,  from 
the  text,  "  Restore  unto  me  the  joy  of  thy  salvation, 
and  uphold  me  with  thy  free  Spirit ;  then  will  I  teach 
transgressors  thy  ways,  and  sinners  shall  be  converted 
unto  thee."  Here  were  two  preachers  from  the  sister 
state,  magnifying  THE  WORK  OF  THE  SPIRIT  in  man's 
salvation.  The  meetings  were  crowded.  They  were 
silent  and  solemn,  but  the  unbidden  tear  and  the  sup 
pressed  sob  showed  the  presence  of  the  Father,  and 
of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  The  hands  of  the 
pastor,  the  Rev.  Edward  L.  Parker,  were  strength 
ened,  and  his  heart  made  glad.  A  work  of  grace 
commenced  immediately,  the  blessed  results  of  which 
the  pastor,  in  his  History  of  Londonderry,  records  in 


272  REV.   JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

these  words :  "  This  year  the  General  Association  of 
New  Hampshire  held  its  anniversary  in  the  east 
parish  of  Londonderry.  A  divine  blessing  attended 
its  deeply  interesting  and  solemn  services.  Sixty-two 
were,  in  consequence,  added  to  the  church." 

Under  such  preaching,  and  the  abundant  labors  of 
faith  and  love  indicated  in  the  above  brief  memoranda, 
rich  spiritual  blessings  were  evidently  descending. 
The  memoranda  contain  the  following  cheering  items  : 
January  17,  "  twelve  persons  were  examined  for  ad 
mission  to  the  church."  January  27,  "about  forty 
attended  the  inquiry-meeting."  February  10,  "more 
than  fifty  inquirers."  February  24,  "a  meeting  for 
inquirers  in  the  evening,  at  which  between  thirty  and 
forty  attended."  Under  date  of  February  21,  there  is 
also  this  item :  "  Seventy-six  pews  in  the  Salem  church 
were  sold  for  about  $18,700.  0  Lord,  fill  this  house 
with  thy  presence." 

We  gather  other  indications  of  the  spirit  and  suc 
cess  with  which  he  was  laboring,  from  letters  to  his 
family,  who  remained  at  Andover  for  a  time  after  his 
installation  in  Boston. 

To  his  eldest  son,  then  about  the  age  of  nine,  he 
wrote  January  8,  1828,  "  You  must  pray  for  your  dear 
papa  every  day,  that  the  Lord  would  enable  him  to  do 
much  good ;  that  his  life  and  health  may  be  preserved, 
and  that  he  may  be  the  means  of  saving  very  many 
souls.  Pray  also  every  day,  for  yourself,  that  the 
Lord  would  teach  you  to  love  and  serve  him.  Re 
member,  that  unless  you  love  God,  and  keep  his  com 
mandments,  you  can  never  go  to  heaven.  I  hope  you 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  273 

daily  read  the  Bible.  Some  little  boys  in  Boston,  not 
much  older  than  you,  have  this  winter  become  pious, 
and  have  meetings  to  read  the  Bible,  and  to  pray  to 
gether.  God  says  that  he  loves  those  that  love  him, 
and  that  those  who  seek  him  early  shall  find  him ;  and 
it  is  better  to  have  God  for  your  friend,  than  to  have- 
every  thing  else. 

"  There  were,  the  last  Sabbath  evening,  more  than 
a  hundred  at  Dr.  Beecher's  inquiry-meeting;  more 
than  a  hundred  at  Rev.  Mr.  Wisner's ;  sixty  or 
seventy  at  Park-street,  and  about  the  same  number 
at  Rev.  Mr.  Green's,  besides  others  in  other  places. 
Many  are  inquiring  what  they  shall  do  to  be  saved, 
and  we  hope  that  many  will  repent  of  their  sins, 
believe  on  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  keeping  his  com 
mands,  be  prepared  for  heaven." 

To   Mrs.    Edwards. 

"BOSTON,  Jan.  14, 1828. 

"Mr  VERY  DEAR  WIFE — Through  the  kindness  of 
our  heavenly  Father,  I  am  continued  to  the  present 
time,  and  though  somewhat  hoarse  through  a  slight 
cold,  I  preached  twice  yesterday ;  in  the  afternoon, 
to  a  large  assembly.  In  the  evening,  I  had  an  inquiry- 
meeting  ;  about  sixty  attended  ;  some  of  them  persons 
who  belonged  to  churches  in  the  country,  but  have 
not  joined  any  in  this  city  ;  some  of  them  persons  who 
have  hope,  but  have  not  made  a  profession ;  and  some 
of  all  stages  of  religious  impression,  from  a  little  seri 
ousness  up  to  deep  conviction.  Several  persons,  of 
various  ages,  had  their  minds  deeply  impressed  at 
the  lecture  last  Tuesday  evening ;  among  them  was 

Mr. ,  the  merchant  in  Market-street.    He  called  to 

12*       L"'v' 


274  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

converse  with  me  on  Saturday  evening.  Some  at  the 
inquiry-meeting  were  from  Roman-catholic  families, 
and  some  from  Universalists.  Our  friends  are  encour 
aged  to  hope  that  they  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God. 
I  hope  you  pray  much  for  us  that  the  work  of  God 
may  revive  and  spread  over  all  this  city. 

"I  generally  retire  about  11  P.  M.,  rise  about  six, 
and  find  as  much  as  I  can  do.  I  hope  you  pray  daily 
for  me,  that  I  may  be  wise,  humble,  bold,  faithful,  and 
win  many  souls  to  Christ.  I  preached  yesterday  all 
day  from,  'Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my 
Spirit,  saith  the  Lord.'  I  hope  it  made  a  good  im 
pression,  and  will  be  followed  by  the  divine  blessing. 
Pray  much  for  Mr.  Badger  and  the  people  at  Ando- 
ver.  Give  my  love  to  him  and  to  all. 
"Your  affectionate  husband, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 
To  the  same. 

"  BOSTON,  Feb.  25, 1828. 

"MY  VERY  DEAR  WIFE — My  health  after  you  left 
was  very  poor  •  and  I  became  so  bilious,  that  I  felt 
more  like  giving  up,  than  I  have  for  years.  On  Sat 
urday  I  rode  out  to  see  Dr.  Chaplin,  at  Cambridge- 
port.  On  the  Sabbath  I  preached  twice.  In  the 
afternoon  felt  better,  and  spoke  with  freedom  on  the 
nature  of  repentance,  the  reasons  why  angels  rejoice 
over  the  repenting  sinner,  and  the  instructions  which 
this  fact  affords  us.  In  the  evening  very  stormy ;  had 
between  thirty  and  forty  at  the  inquiry-meeting,  one 
head  of  a  family,  whose  mind  was  deeply  impressed  in 
the  course  of  the  day.  Between  seventy  and  eighty 
pews  were  sold  last  week  for  about  $19,000;  about 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  275 

$1,500  more  than  they  were  prized  as  worth.  About 
twenty  pews  were  also  leased.  Our  meeting,  the  last 
Sabbath,  about  as  full  as  when  the  pews  were  all  free. 

"My  health  to-day  is  much  better;  and  though  I 
have  been  in  consultation  with  the  ministers  and  others 
all  day,  I  feel  this  evening  quite  comfortable.  I  never 
felt  so  much  the  need  of  your  prayers,  and  the  prayers 
of  all  God's  people,  that  I  may  be  sustained,  strength 
ened  in  the  inner  and  outer  man,  be  guided  by  wis 
dom  from  on  high,  and  have  the  constant  presence 
and  blessing  of  God.  I  find  that  without  him  I  can 
do  nothing ;  and  hope  I  sometimes  feel,  that  through 
his  strengthening  me,  I  can  do  all  things.  My  preach 
ing  seems  to  me,  and  I  presume  often  to  others,  to  be 
very  poor ;  but  the  Lord  can  bless  the  weakness  of 
means,  and  that  gives  me  some  hope.  I  rejoice  that 
they  have  so  good  a  minister  at  Andover ;  and  hope 
I  am  thankful  that  he  may  probably  be  instrumental 
in  saving  many  more  souls  among  them  than  I  should. 

"  Give  my  best  love  to  the  dear  boys ;  and  tell 
them  my  earnest  hopes  that  they  every  day  pray  to 
God,  and  strive  to  obey  him  ;  that  they  are  very  atten 
tive  and  obedient  to  their  mother,  and  are  very  thank 
ful  for  the  many  things  which  she  does  for  them.  Kiss 
the  dear  little  girls :  tell  them  that  papa  thinks  of 
them,  and  tries  to  pray  for  them  and  all  the  people  at 
Andover  every  day.  Tell  Sarah  that  she  does  not 
know  what  a  precious  time  she  now  has  to  secure  the 
salvation  of  her  soul ;  and  I  fear,  if  she  does  not  ob 
tain  an  interest  in  Jesus  Christ,  by  believing  on  him 
soon,  that  she  never  will.  She  may  die  suddenly,  and 
go  unprepared  to  the  judgment.  And  Fanny  too 


276  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

should  remember  God,  and  seek  the  salvation  of  her 
soul  now,  while  she  is  young ;  for  she  does  not  know 
but  she  may  die  before  she  grows  up. 

"I  hope  God  will  dwell  with  you,  and  give  you 
and  sister  A.  «L,  to  whom 'I  feel  under  many  obliga 
tions,  wisdom  and  grace  to  serve  him,  and  do  much 
good.  I  hope  to  come  up  and  see  you  at  no  distant 
time ;  but  when,  is  at  present  uncertain.  I  lecture 
to-morrow  evening.  Prayer  for  colleges  on  Thursday, 
A.  M.  United  meeting  of  all  the  churches,  in  Park- 
street  in  the  evening.  Preparatory  lecture,  Friday 
evening.  Communion  on  the  Sabbath ;  lecture,  or 
inquiry-meeting  in  the  evening,  and  so  on. 
"  Your  affectionate  husband, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

February  29,  he  writes,  "  Our  little  band  of  pray 
ing  people  met  yesterday  afternoon  to  pray  for  the 
youth  in  our  colleges ;  and  in  the  evening  we  had  a 
meeting  of  all  the  churches  in  Park-street,  full,  and 
very  interesting,  rather  more  so  than  any  united 
meeting  that  we  have  had  since  I  have  been  here. 
Pray  much,  my  dear  wife,  for  me  your  unworthy 
husband,  and  for  the  dear  ministers  in  this  city,  that 
we  may  all  be  men  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of 
power;  be  clothed  with  humility,  be  strong  in  the 
grace  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  be  furnished  by  him 
for  every  good  word  and  work;  that  by  well-doing 
we  may  put  to  silence  foolish  and  wicked  men,  and 
prevail  against  every  foe,  'for  we  wrestle  not  with 
flesh  and  blood7  merely,  'but  with  principalities  and 
powers,  with  the  rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this  world, 
and  with  spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places.' 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  €77 

March  4,  he  says,  "  Our  little  band  of  praying  ones 
are,  I  think,  growing  in  grace,  as  well  as  in  numbers, 
and  feel  that  we  have  a  great  work  before  us. 
Boston  appears  to  be  more  full  of  God  than  I  have 
ever  before  known  it,  and  I  think  that  the  manifesta 
tions  of  his  presence  are  increasing.  I  preached  three 
times  on  the  Sabbath,  administered  the  communion, 
admitted  eighteen  to  the  church,  wrote  all  Monday 
forenoon;  'consulted  in  the  afternoon  with  the  breth 
ren,  and  spoke  and  prayed  at  the  concert  in  the  even 
ing,  and  am  this  morning  remarkably  well  for  me. 
But  my  strength,  you  know,  is  only  weakness,  and  I 
am  well  only  as  long  as  I  am  held  up ;  and  wise  only 
by  wisdom  from  above. 

"Brother  Wisner  has  gone  to  Philadelphia  for 
Dr.  Skinner." 

About  the  same  time  that  the  Salem-street  church 
was  erected  in  the  north  part  of  Boston,  the  Pine- 
street  church  was  erected  in  the  south  part,  in  which 
the  services  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  H.  Skinner  were 
secured  as  pastor. 

To  Rev.  Wm.  A.  Hallock,   Secretary,  New  York. 

"BOSTON,  March  5, 1828. 

"DEAR  BROTHER — I  believe  that  some  time  ago 
the  printing  of  my  sermon  on  the  'Inspiration  of  the 
Scriptures/  as  a  tract,  was  spoken  of.  I  am  now 
placed  where,  for  thirty  years,  error  has  reigned  over 
multitudes.  The  consequence  is,  infidelity  is  exten 
sively  exerting  its  deadly  influence  over  their  souls. 
I  now  propose,  if  the  Lord  gives  me  wisdom,  strength, 
grace,  and  opportunity,  to  rewrite  on  the  subject  of 


278  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

inspiration,  more  at  length,  and  I  hope  in  a  better 
manner.  My  first  Bible  lecture  will  probably  be  deliv 
ered  in  about  two  weeks. 

"  God  seems  to  be  in  the  midst  of  us  of  a  truth. 
Pray  for  us,  especially  those  of  us  who  are  appointed 
to  be  watchmen  in  these  perilous  and  difficult  times, 
and  on  this  perilous  and  difficult  spot :  that  we  may 
be  humble,  united,  bold,  active,  and  strong  in  the  grace 
that  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  giving  glory,  all  the  glory  of 
every  good  that  is  done  in  us  and  by  us,  to  God  to 
whom  it  belongs ;  that  we  may  also  in  all  our  move 
ments  look  at  the  world,  the  whole  world,  and  bear 
upon  those  points  and  in  that  manner  in  which  we 
shall  most  rapidly  and  permanently  promote  its  reno 
vation  and  salvation  from  sin  and  death,  and  its  resto 
ration  to  the  image  and  favor  of  God. 

"I  would  thank  you  again  to  read  my  sermon, 
and  let  me  know  what  alterations  and  additions  it 
wants  in  order  to  produce  the  most  extensive  and 
deep  impression,  that  the  Bibk  is  the  word  of  God, 
and  as  such  ought  to  be  daily  listened  to  by  every  son  and 
daughter  of  Mam,  and  to  be  believed  and  obeyed  wherever 
known,  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  the  going  down  of 
the  same. 

"I  have  a  project  also  for  reaching  the  consciences 
of  all  professors  of  religion  in  the  land,  so  that  they 
cannot  come  into  contact  with  distilled  liquors,  either 
in  the  use,  the  making,  or  the  sale  of  them,  without  an 
apprehension  and  a  foretaste  of  the  certainty,  if  they 
continue  to  aid  in  their  distribution,  that  they  will  ere 
long  kindle  around  them  and  all  who  follow  them  a 
fire,  the  fierceness  of  which  they  never  can  mitigate, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  279 

and  the  raging  and  consuming  power  of  which  no  man 
can  quench. 

"  Yours  in  the  best  bonds, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

Such  were  the  unceasing  labors,  such  the  faith  and 
prayer,  such  the  love  to  souls,  the  dependence  on 
Christ  and  humble  trust  in  him,  with  which  Dr.  Ed 
wards  was  pressing  on  in  his  career  of  usefulness,  with 
his  eye  fixed  on  the  advancement  of  evangelical  truth, 
not  only  in  his  own  congregation,  but  throughout  the 
city,  and  the  land,  and  the  world.  The  hearts  of 
Christians  far  and  wide  were  made  glad  by  the  de 
scent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  New  England  capital, 
where  moral  dearth  had  so  long  prevailed ;  and  the 
most  pleasing  anticipations  of  future  good  were  in 
dulged — when  his  vigorous  bodily  powers  yielded  to 
the  pressure  of  mental  labor  and  excitement,  and  he 
was  compelled  to  suspend  all  active  exertions.  This 
was  but  a  renewal  of  what  he  had  experienced  before 
resigning  his  charge  in  Andover.  In  a  letter  written 
April  18,  1828,  to  a  relative  in  Colchester,  he  says, 
"  In  the  month  of  September  last,  I  had  a  severe  turn 
of  bilious  obstruction,  occasioned,  I  suppose,  by  a  spas 
modic  contraction  of  the  biliary  duct,  and  accompa 
nied  with  great  pain  ;  and  I  have  not  been  well  since- 
Almost  every  effort  of  mind  has  occasioned  threaten 
ing  symptoms  of  the  same  disease,  and  five  weeks  ago 
it  became  so  violent  that  I  was  obliged  entirely  to 
desist  from  preaching  and  all  kinds  of  mental  effort. 
For  ten  or  twelve  days  I  was  confined  to  my  chamber 
in  Boston."  Of  the  hazards,  in  respect  to  the  state  of 
his  health,  of  assuming  the  responsibilities  of  the  new 


280  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

charge  in  Boston,  he  was  probably  more  fully  aware 
than  the  counsellors  who  unanimously  advised  him  to 
assume  them;  and  the  relief  he  had  experienced  by 
the  change  in  prosecuting  for  several  weeks  the  Tem 
perance  agency,  may  have  given  him  hope  that  his 
bodily  powers  were  radically  restored.  But  the  very 
sundering  of  the  tender  and  sacred  ties  that  bound 
him  to  his  former  charge,  and  the  meeting  and  adjust 
ing  of  the  claims  so  soon  and  so  urgently  pressed 
upon  him  from  important  churches  and  institutions, 
in  which  his  own  usefulness  and  the  dearest  interests 
of  the  kingdom  of  the  Redeemer  seemed  to  be  involv 
ed,  renewed  and  increased  that  long-continued  mental 
excitement,  which  was  as  an  internal  flame  burning 
at  the  seat  of  life. 

About  the  first  of  April  he  left  Boston,  on  horse 
back,  for  some  weeks  of  recreation  and  rest  among 
his  relatives  and  friends  on  the  Connecticut  river — - 
passing  the  Sabbath,  on  his*  way,  at  Hardwick,  where 
he  "worshipped  with  a  little  company  of  orthodox 
Christians  in  an  upper  chamber.'7  Proceeding  to 
Hatfield,  he  engaged  Rev.  Mr.  Waterbury  to  supply 
his  pulpit  for  four  weeks;  and  spent  a  few  days  at 
Hadley,  with  his  esteemed  friends  Dr.  and  Mrs.  POP 
ter.  He  then  visited  his  relatives  in  Westhampton, 
where  he  found  "an  unusual  attention  to  religion;" 
and  was  also  cheered  by  a  letter  from  Dea.  Proctor, 
informing  him  that  nine  or  ten  were  to  be  received 
to  his  own  church  in  Boston  on  the  profession  of  their 
faith.  He  then  "rested  a  while"  among  his  friends 
in  Northampton,  where  he  wrote  to  Mrs.  Edwards, 
"I  hope  the  Lord  is  teaching  me  and  you  and  our 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  281 

dear  people,  that  to  be  where  he  puts  us  is  to  be  in  the 
best  place ;  that  with  his  presence  and  blessing,  we 
can  be  happy  anywhere  and  in  any  condition,  and 
that  without  it,  all  else  is  vanity." 

On  May  20,  he  is  at  Cambridgeport,  where  he  had 
been  consulting  Dr.  Chaplin,  and  writes  to  Mrs.  Ed 
wards,.  "Dr.  Chaplin  has  decided  that  I  must  not  go 
into  Boston  at  present.  As  soon  as  our  deacons  learn 
ed  his  decision,  they  invited  Hon.  Mr.  Hubbard,  Mr. 
Tappan,  Mr.  Evarts,  and  others,  to  a  meeting  for  con 
sultation,  and  it  was  forthwith  decided  to  obtain  a 
house  for  us,  for  the  summer,  a  few  miles  out  of  Bos 
ton.  This  was  an  instance  of  kindness  and  prompt 
generosity  which  my  unbelieving,  ungrateful  heart 
did  not  expect.  It  was  manifestly  the  Lord's  doing, 
and  I  hope  he  will  bind  us  all  in  everlasting  gratitude 
to  himself.  It  appears  to  me  that  he  is  leading  us, 
and  all  his  people,  in  the  right  way,  that  we  may  '  go 
to  a  city  of  habitation/ 

"I  had  a  most  delightful  walk  this  morning  about 
Cambridge  University,  while  all  were  asleep,  and  it 
was  a  good  time  to  pray  that  God  would  come  down 
there  by  his  Spirit.  Will  you,  my  dear,  pray  daily 
for  a  revival  of  religion  in  that  university.  It  is  a 
delightful  spot,  and  the  Lord  is  owner  of  it,  and  doubt 
less  designs  to  make  it  subservient  to  the  interests  of 
his  church.  Dr.  Skinner  appears  to  be  getting  on 
finely  "  in  the  Pine-street  church. 

In  accordance  with  a  suggestion  above,  a  house 
was  provided  for  Dr.  Edwards'  family  in  Dorchester, 
six  miles  from  Boston,  where  they  resided  during  the 
summer  months. 


282  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

To   a  brother  of  Mrs.   Edwards,  in   New  York. 

"NORTHAMPTON,  April  21, 1828. 

"MY  DEAR  BROTHER — Since  I  experienced  your 
kindness  in  Boston,  I  have  thought  of  you  with  pecul 
iar  interest  almost  daily  ;  and  with  special  desire  that 
the  vigorous  and  active  powers  with  which  the  Lord 
has  graciously  blessed  you,  might  all  "be  devoted  to 
his  service.  I  do  not  wish  you  to  change  your  busi 
ness,  or  leave  your  employment  as  a  merchant,  for 
that  is  the  calling  in  which  you  are  called.  But  what 
I  desire  is,  that  you  may  engage  in  it,  and  prosecute 
it  daily,  not  supremely  for  yourself,  but  for  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  of  whom,  and  through  whom,  and  to 
whom  are  all  things. 

"  If  a  man  is  active  in  business  and  acquires  prop 
erty,  but  all  supremely  for  himself,  and  for  this  world 
merely,  his  activity  stands  in  the  way  of  his  salvation ; 
and  his  acquisition  of  property,  if  this  course  is  contin 
ued,  will  engross  his  whole  heart,  and  drown  him  in 
destruction  and  perdition.  But  if  he  is  active  and 
acquires  property  for  the  sake  of  honoring  God,  and 
doing  good,  his  very  activity  will  tend  to  promote 
his  salvation,  and  while  diligent  in  business  he  will 
be  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord.  He  will  also 
enjoy  vastly  greater  comfort  in  the  acquisition  of 
property  itself,  because  he  will  be  acquiring  it  for  a 
nobler  purpose ;  and  it  will  have  a  more  elevating, 
purifying,  and  benevolent  influence  upon  his  whole 
character. 

"Be  careful,  my  dear  brother,  every  day  to  set 
apart  a  season  for  meditation,  reading  the  Scriptures, 
and  prayer,  to  look  backward  and  forward,  to  exam- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN   BOSTON.  283 

ine  yourself  and  see  whether  the  course  that  you  are 
now  pursuing,  should-  you  continue  it,  will  lead  you 
to  heaven.  If  not,  make  no  delay  to  change,  and  set 
out  in  that  way  which  if  continued  will  end  in  glory. 
Give  your  heart  to  God,  and  make  it  your  constant 
object  to  render  unto  him  the  things  that  are  his ; 
trusting  wholly  for  what  you  need  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  seeking  daily  the  teaching  and  guidance 
of  his  blessed  Spirit.  Act  in  all  things  for  eternity, 
and  strive  to  do  good,  as  you  have  opportunity,  to  all, 
and  especially  to  those  that  love  him. 
"  Your  affectionate  brother, 

«J.  EDWARDS." 

A  renewed  attack  still  prevented  Dr.  Edwards 
from  resuming  labors  among  his  people,  when  he  re 
ceived  the  following  brotherly  communication  from  a 
highly  respected  pastor  in  a  sister  city. 

"NEW  YORK,  July  3, 1828. 

"KEV.  AND  DEAR  SIR — I  write  because  I  know  that 
what  I  am  about  to  say  is  of  importance.  Men  will 
praise  you,  my  brother,  after  you  are  dead ;  and  when 
you  have  labored  and  toiled,  and  died,  they  will  greatly 
commend  your  disinterestedness — and  until  then,  they 
will  urge  and  goad  you  to  labors  which  no  human 
mind  or  frame  can  sustain.  I  do  not  know  but  it  is 
too  late  to  save  your  shattered  constitution ;  but  if  it 
is  saved,  you  must  not  leave  it  to  the  sympathy  even 
of  the  best  of  men. 

"  I  write  to  say,  not  this  only,  but  that  you  have 
no  chance  for  permanent  recovery  while  at  home.  My 
own  experience  tells  me,  there  is  nothing  like  a  long 
sea-voyage.  The  perfect  repose — the  novelty — the 


284  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

atmosphere — the  regimen — the  storms — the  sleep — the 
exercise — the  tumbling  about — these  are  what  the 
jaded  mind  and  body  of  a  minister  require.  I  beg  of 
you  to  try  the  experiment — not  coastwise,  but  across 
the  western  ocean.  Your  people  must  furnish  you 
means  and  society :  both  are  necessary.  Be  absent  a 
year ;  and  go,  not  to  labor,  but  to  rest.  Seven  or 
eight  hundred  dollars  will  cover  the  expense.  Do  not 
lose  a  month,  but  go.  Do  not  say,  your  usefulness  is 
not  worth  the  effort.  One  minister,  well  trained  to 
the  service  of  the  sanctuary  and  to  the  labors  of  the 
church,  is  worth  ten  years'  preparatory  service,  and 
surely  one  of  repose.  I  rejoice  in  all  that  is  good  at 
Boston. 

"  Your  affectionate  brother, 

"GARDINER  SPRING." 

August  21, 1828,  he  writes  a  letter,  from  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Saratoga  Springs,  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  "VYisner 
of  Boston,  stating  that  he  had  attended  a  highly  inter 
esting  meeting  of  the  Albany  Presbytery,  when  the 
subject  of  missions  in  our  own  country  was  taken  up, 
and  its  immense  magnitude  and  importance  most  seri 
ously  considered.  "  It  would  have  done  your  heart 
good,"  he  says,  "to  see  worthy  fathers  in  the  ministry 
weep  like  children  while  this  subject  was  under  discus 
sion,  and  the  tender,  strong  emotion  which  pervaded 
the  whole  assembly.  It  was  indeed  a  time  of  refreshing, 
I  trust,  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  They  hope  to 
raise  within  their  bounds  $4,000  for  this  object,  in  one 
year.  A  delightful  spirit  now  pervades  the  Presbytery, 
and  one  which  seems  to  promise  much,  not  only  for  the 
destitute,  but  for  themselves  and  their  children. 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTO"^.  285 

"  Rev.  Mr.  Yale  is  a  noble  spirit,  i^igfslir  the 
world  was  full  of  such  men,  as  manifestations  of  the 
lovely,  transforming,  and  mighty  power  of  grace.  I 
rejoice  exceedingly  to  see  such  men  in  health,  and 
able,  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord,  to  move  on  the  holy 
and  life-giving  projects  of  his  kingdom. 

"  I  am  much  interested  in  Dr.  Nott,  and  we  lodge 
at  the  same  house.  We  have  talked  much  on  the  sub 
ject  of  the  sanctification  of  the  Sabbath.  May  the 
Lord  give  us  wisdom  equal  to  the  importance  of  the 
crisis  to  which  we  have  come,  and  the  magnitude  of 
the  interests  which  may  be  affected  by  our  conduct. 

"  On  the  subject  of  Sabbath-schools  this  Presbytery 
are  preparing  to  do  nobly.  And  on  the  whole  the 
work  of  the  Lord,  if  his  people  shall  continue  humble, 
prayerful,  and  active,  is  evidently  advancing  towards 
a  glorious  consummation ;  and  the  laying  aside  of  one 
man,  or  a  dozen  men,  cannot  stop  its  progress. 

"  With  love  to  the  brethren,  and  asking  an  interest 
In  your  prayers,  that  I  may  honor  God,  and  be  prepar 
ed,  in  his  own  way,  time,  and  place,  to  be  eminently 
instrumental  in  bringing  our  world  into  subjection  to 
the  Saviour,  and  spreading  the  honor  of  his  precious 
name  through  the  universe,  I  am  cordially  yours,"  etc. 

"To  the  Members  of  Salem  church,  Boston : 

"SARATOGA  SPRINGS,  Aug.  26, 1828. 
"DEAR  BRETHREN  AND  FRIENDS — The  ways  of  the 
Lord  are  wonderful,  sought  out  of  all  them  that  have 
pleasure  therein.  When  the  Lord  disappoints  the 
expectations,  of  his  people,  it  is  not  because  he  does 
not  love  them — not  because  he  does  not  design  to 
promote  their  highest  good  in  the  best  way,  or  the 


286  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

highest  good  of  his  holy  kingdom.  He  does  design 
to  do  both,  yet  he  often  takes  a  course  and  uses  means 
for  this  purpose  directly  the  reverse  of  what  we 
should. 

"  Who  would  have  thought  of  sending  Israel  into 
Egypt  as  the  best  way  of  leading  them  to  Canaan; 
of  sending  Moses  for  forty  years  into  obscurity  as  the 
best  way  of  preparing  him  to  do  the  greatest  good  to 
the  world  ?  Who  of  us  would  have  kept  the  children 
of  Israel  for  so  long  a  time  in  the  wilderness,  and  led 
them  in  such  a  circuitous  route  to  the  land  of  promise  ? 
And  yet  God  did  it ;  and  who  will  say  that  it  was  not 
the  best  way — the  way  to  glorify  himself,  and  most 
effectually  bless  his  people  ?  How  many  benefits  have 
already  resulted  to  his  church  from  his  taking  that 
course,  and  how  many  will  yet  result  through  eternal 
ages,  above  what  would  have  resulted  had  he  taken 
the  course  which  we  should  have  taken,  none  but  God 
can  determine. 

"  Who  but  God  would  have  thought,  in  a  time  of 
such  abounding  wickedness,  when  the  labors  of  the 
Lord's  prophets  were  so  much  needed,  of  sending 
away  Elijah  the  ablest  of  them  to  a  solitary  place 
alone,  and  feeding  him  there  for  so  long  a  time  by 
ravens  ?  Yet  the  Lord  did  it ;  and  who  will  say  that 
Elijah  was  not 'during  that  time  more  useful  to  the 
kingdom  of  Jehovah,  viewed  in  its  connection  with 
eternity,  than  he  could  have  been  anywhere  else  ? 

"  Had  Jehovah  become  in  any  measure  indifferent 
to  the  interests  of  Zion,  or  did  he  mistake  the  best 
way  to  promote  his  own  cause  ?  No  ;  he  takes  ways 
different  from  what  we  should,  and  often  from  what 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  287 

we  desire  and  pray  for,  not  because  he  loves  Zion  less 
than  we,  but  infinitely  more.  He  is  infinitely  more 
wise,  more  benevolent.  In  prayer,  we  look  perhaps 
supremely  to  this  or  that  particular  church,  or  to  the 
course  which  the  Lord  shall  take  in  the  disposal  of 
his  servants,  and  regard  principally  the  present  time, 
or  at  most  the  time  in  which  we  shall  live  •  but  God 
regards  supremely  himself,  and  the  holy  interests  of  his 
whole  kingdom  for  endless  ages.  And  though  we,  in 
the  bitterness  of  disappointed  hopes,  cry,  'All  these 
things  are  against  me ' ;  and  perhaps  feel,  if  we  do 
not  say,  that  they  are  against  the  cause  of  Zion  too  ; 
yet  how  foolish  and  how  ungrateful  it  is  for  us  to 
think  so.  Has  'He  who  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but 
freely  gave  him  up  for  us  all/  forgotten  his  people,  or 
mistaken  the  best  way  to  promote  their  interests? 
They  desire  perhaps  earthly  prosperity,  especially  in 
their  religious  concerns.  He  desires  their  sanctifica- 
tion  and  salvation,  and  he  leads  them  in  the  right 
way,  that  they  may  go  to  a  city  of  habitation. 

"  Who  of  us,  after  Saul  of  Tarsus  was  converted, 
with  his  immense  learning  and  talents,  and  when  there 
was  so  much  need  of  his  labors  in  Damascus,  Jerusa 
lem,  and  many  other  places,  would  have  sent  him  into 
the  deserts  of  Arabia ;  or,  when  all  his  strength  was 
so  much  needed,  have  caused  him  even  at  the  first,  in 
the  populous  region  of  Galatia,  to  preach  the  gospel 
through  severe  bodily  infirmity,  even  such  as  to  make 
his  speech,  in  the  view  of  many,  contemptible.  Who  of 
us,  had  we  the  power  to  prevent  it,  would  have  suf 
fered  him,  in  the  metropolis  of  the  world,  when  thou 
sands  were  perishing  for  lack  of  knowledge,  to  be 


288  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

bound  and  imprisoned  ?  Yet  God  did  it  ;  and  con 
trary  to  all  human  expectation,  it  turned  out,  as  the 
ways  of  the  Lord  always  do,  to  the  furtherance  of  the 
gospel.  *  Wherefore  lift  up  the  hands  that  hang  down, 
and  confirm  the  feeble  knees ;  say  unto  them  that  are 
of  a  fearful  heart,  Be  strong;  fear  not.1  Zion  is  placed 
as  a  seal  upon  the  Lord's  arm,  and  bound  as  a  signet 
upon  his  heart;  he  will  never  leave,  never  forsake 
her.  Though  for  a  little  time  he  afflicts  her  in  some 
of  her  branches  or  members,  yet  with  everlasting  lov 
ing-kindness  will  he  have  mercy  upon  her.  He  afflicts 
her  for  her  profit,  to  show  all  her  members  what  is  in 
their  hearts,  and  that  he  may  do  them  good  in  the 
latter  end.  Though  he  tarry  long,  wait  for  him;  in 
due  time  he  shall  come,  and  will  not  tarry.  "Who  ever 
trusted  in  him  and  sought  him  with  the  whole  heart, 
and  was  disappointed?  No  one;  and  no  one  ever 
will.  He  will  give  them  the  desires  of  their  heart,  or 
he  will  give  them  what  is  infinitely  better;  and  while 
the  youth,  and  the  most  strong,  vigorous,  and  power 
ful,  who  seek  supremely  their  own,  shall  faint  and  be 
weary,  and  all  who  trust  to  themselves  and  creatures 
shall  utterly  fall,  they  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall 
renew  their  strength;  they  shall  mount  up  on  wings 
as  eagles,  shall  run  and  not  be  weary,  walk  and  not 
faint. 

"  Who  of  us  would  have  permitted  that  Preacher 
of  righteousness  who  spake  as  never  man  spake,  to  be 
apprehended,  bound,  and  buffeted,  spit  upon,  and  cru 
cified  between  two  malefactors  ?  And  should  we  not 
all,  had  we  beheld  it,  like  the  weeping  disciples,  have 
trembled  for  the  rising  prospects  of  his  infant  king- 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  289 

dom?  Yet  God,  who  seeth  the  end  from  the  begin 
ning,  permitted  this  ;  and  what  amazing  benefits  have 
flowed  from  it  to  his  church,  and  what  brighter  glo 
ries  will  continue  to  encircle  it,  in  consequence  of  this, 
to  everlasting  ages.  How  will  those  very  disciples, 
who  when  their  Leader  was  taken  from  them  were 
ready  to  say,  '  All  these  things  are  against  us/  be  filled 
in  view  of  that  event  with  celestial  ardor,  and  sing  in 
more  exalted  strains,  Oh  the  length  and  the  breadth, 
the  height  and  depth  of  the  wisdom  and  the  love  of 
God,  it  passeth  knowledge. 

"Let  us  then,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  choose  to 
have  the  Lord  govern  in  his  own  way,  not  only  in  the 
armies  of  heaven,  but  in  the  habitations  of  the  earth, 
and  dispose  of  us  and  ours  as  seemeth  good  in  his 
sight ;  and  let  the  language  of  each  of  our  hearts  be, 
at  all  times,  in  all  places,  and  under  all  circumstances, 
'  Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done ;'  and  let  us  inquire 
each  one  for  himself  habitually, '  Lord,  what  wilt  thou 
have  me  to  do  ?'  and  leaning  upon  God  go  forward  in 
duty,  living  not  unto  ourselves,  but  unto  Him  that  died 
for  us,  and  rose  again ;  and  then  we  may  rest  assured 
that  all  things  shall  work  together,  not  only  for  the 
good  of  Zion,  but  for  our  good,  as  they  do  for  the 
good  of  them  that  love  God,  and  who  are  the  called 
according  to  his  purpose ;  and  by  and  by,  from  the 
heights  of  heavenly  glory  we  shall  look  back  on  the 
way  through  which  Jehovah  has  led  us,  and  see  that 
every  step  was  ordered  by  infinite  wisdom  and  good 
ness  and  love,  and  shall  with  one  heart  and  one  voice 
adore  the  riches  of  divine  grace  with  the  millions  of 
the  redeemed  for  ever. 

Edward*.  1  3 


290  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

"  Through  the  kindness  of  our  heavenly  Father,  I 
arrived  here  safely  about  three  weeks  ago,  and  have 
since  been  here  for  the  benefit  of  the  waters.  My 
health  is  slowly,  but  I  believe  daily  improving,  and  I 
am  not  without  expectation  of  being  restored  to  per 
fect  health.  If  the  Lord  has  any  thing  for  me  to  do 
among  you,  I  shall  rejoice,  in  his  own  way  and  time, 
to  be  restored  to  you,  to  minister  as  of  the  ability 
which  he  shall  give,  and  to  spend  and  be  spent  in  pro 
moting  his  glory  in  the  salvation  of  men.  Praying 
daily  that  he  would  dwell  among  you  by  his  Spirit, 
and  grant  you  at  all  times  his  presence ;  make  you 
wise  by  his  wisdom,  strong  in  his  strength,  and  com 
fort  you  by  his  consolation ;  that  he  will  increase  you 
with  the  increase  of  God,  build  you  up,  and  give  you 
an  inheritance  among  all  them  that  are  sanctified, 
"I  am,  with  tender  regard, 

"  Your  affectionate  pastor, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

Soon  after  writing  the  above,  he  was  enabled  to 
return  to  his  people  and  resume  his  labors ;  and  his 
family,  in  the  course  of  the  autumn,  removed  from 
Dorchester  into  the  city. 

To  Miss  P.  C ,  a  niece  in  Ohio,  he  wrote,  Sept. 

9,  1828,  "I  send  you  $10,  with  which,  and  with  what 
your  father  may  assist  you,  I  hope  you  will  be  able  to 
accomplish  your  object.  I  approve  entirely  of  your 
fitting  yourself  to  keep  school,  and  if  you  improve  all 
the  time  and  opportunities  that  you  can  get,  I  have  no 
doubt  that  you  will  be  able  to  do  it.  It  is  an  impor 
tant  and  useful  employment ;  and  to  prepare  you  for 
it,  1  hope  you  will  give  your  heart  to  God,  and  daily 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  291 

seek  the  teaching  and  guidance  of  his  Spirit,  and 
make  it  your  great  object,  should  you  have  the  care 
of  children,  to  train  them  up  '  in  the  nurture  and  ad 
monition  of  the  Lord/  and  to  fit  them,  not  only  for 
usefulness  on  earth,  but  for  glory  in  heaven.  If  you 
serve  God,  and  in  all  your  ways  acknowledge  him,  he 
will  be  your  guide,  will  lead  you  in  the  right  way, 
will  provide  for  you,  and  train  you  up  for  heaven. 

"  If  you  have  the  tracts  of  the  American  Tract  So 
ciety,  the  one  entitled,  '  The  Way  to  be  Saved?  and  anoth 
er,  '  Joy  in  Heaven  over  the  Penitent?  may  assist  you  in 
the  way  to  heaven.  I  hope  you  will  read  them  with 
attention  and  with  prayer ;  they  were  both  written 
by  your  affectionate  uncle,  as  was  also  another,  enti 
tled,  '  The  Well-conducted  Farm.'  This,  you  may  hand 
to  your  father. 

"Seek,  my  dear,  first  of  all,  to  serve  God,  and  to 
do  good ;  live  for  Jesus  Christ,  and  then  you  shall 
not  want  any  good  thing,  he  will  guide  you  by  his 
counsel,  and  afterwards  receive  you  to  glory.  Seek 
him  with  your  whole  heart,  and  you  shall  find  him. 
"  Your  affectionate  uncle, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

To  Mrs.  Edwards'  brother  in  New  York,  who  had 
requested  religious  counsel : 

"BOSTON,  Jan.  17,1829. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER — If  you  would  be  saved  from 
the  power  and  dominion  of  sin,  be  changed  into  the 
image  of  God,  and  prepared  for  the  joys  of  his  king 
dom,  you  mast  feel  that  this  is  the  most  important  sub 
ject  in  the  world,  and  you  must  make  it  at  present  your 
chief  concern.  It  must  appear  more  important  to  you 


292  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

than  wealth,  reputation,  ease,  health,  friends,  or  even 
life  itself.  Without  this  view  of  its  importance,  you 
will  never  give  it  the  attention  which  it  requires,  and 
which  it  must  have,  or  the  soul  be  lost,  for  ever  lost. 
Come  then  to  a  fixed  decision,  before  God,  and  for 
eternity  on  this  point,  namely,  Are  you  willing  to 
make  your  deliverance  from  sin,  and  your  restoration 
to  holiness  and  the  image  and  favor  of  God,  your  chief 
present  concern  ?  If  so,  let  me  say, 

"  Recollect,  fix  it  in  your  mind  indelibly,  that  all 
you  have  you  receive  from  God,  and  it  is  your  rea 
sonable  service  to  employ  it  according  to  his  will. 
Common  honesty  requires  this.  "Without  it  you  do  not 
render  to  God  his  own,  and  cannot,  in  his  estimation, 
be  at  heart  an  honest  man ;  for  honesty  is  rendering 
to  all  their  dues,  and  it  applies  to  God  no  less  than 
to  men.  Merchants  who  would  be  esteemed  honest, 
often  overlook  this.  And  so  do  other  men.  But,  my 
brother,  be  honest  at  heart,  and  really  attempt  with 
out  delay  to  render  to  God  all  his  due.  And  that  you 
may, 

"  Set  apart  a  portion  of  each  day,  morning  and 
evening,  to  see  how  your  account  stands  with  him, 
and  ask  him  to  teach  you  by  his  Spirit  how  much  you 
are  indebted  to  him.  And  at  the  same  time  listen  to 
his  voice  speaking  to  you  in  his  word,  the  Bible,  that 
you  may  learn  his  views  on  the  subject,  and  you  will 
find  his  demand  to  have  been  every  day,  since  you  first 
knew  his  character  and  your  relation  to  him,  '  all  the 
heart,  and  soul,  and  strength,  and  mind.'  Now  have 
you,  my  dear  brother,  ever  for  one  day  rendered  this  ? 
Have  you  ever,  as  the  chief  present  concern,  attempted 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  293 

it  ?  Have  you  done  what  you  could  ?  Have  you  de 
voted  the  time,  talents,  influence,  and  property  which 
he  has  given  you,  to  him  ?  that  is,  have  you  attempted 
to  use  it  according  to  his  will,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
promoting  his  glory,  and  the  spiritual  and  eternal 
good  of  your  fellow-men  ?  If  not,  you  must  be  greatly 
in  debt.  He  has  given  you  many  talents,  and  those 
with  which  you  might  do  immense  good  to  his  king 
dom,  and  if  you  have  not  used  them  for  him,  you  have 
all  your  days  been  robbing  him  of  what  was  his  own ; 
and  to  defraud  God  is  a  sin  as  much  greater  than  to 
defraud  men,  as  he  is  more  worthy  than  they.  If  you 
will  daily  examine  your  account  with  God,  with  an  hon 
est  heart,  really  desiring  to  know  the  whole  amount, 
you  will  find  that  you  owe  him  ten  thousand  talents, 
and  that  you  really  have  nothing  to  pay.  For,  should 
you  henceforward  render  to  him  for  ever  all  his  due, 
and  never  run  into  debt  for  any  thing  more,  it  would 
only  be  rendering  to  him  what  you  will  be  constantly 
receiving  from  him,  and  thus  merely  acting  honestly 
in  time  to  come,  without  cancelling  or  even  lessening 
one  iota  of  the  debt  which  is  past. 

"  But  such  is  his  amazing  kindness,  that  he  offers 
freely  to  forgive  aU,  and  receive  you  and  treat  you  as 
if  you  had  never  offended,  on  the  simple  condition  of 
trusting  in  his  SON,  and  devoting  yourself  hencefor 
ward  to  the  doing  of  his  will.  And  that  he  might  do 
this  without  dishonoring  himself,  or  injuring  his  king 
dom,  he  gave  up  that  Son,  whom  he  loved  with  infinite 
love,  to  bear  your  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,  to 
feel  the  effects  of  them  himself,  to  be  wounded  for  your 
transgressions,  and  bruised  for  your  iniquities,  that 


294  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWAIIDS,  D.  D. 

you,  by  believing  on  him,  that  is,  trusting  in  him  for 
all  that  you  need,  both  to  do  the  will  of  God,  and  to 
be  accepted  in  it,  might  through  his  stripes,  that  is,  his 
suffering  unto  death,  be  healed,  and  saved  with  an 
everlasting  salvation. 

"  Of  course  you  can  have  no  excuse  if  you  do  not 
immediately  and  for  ever  devote  yourself,  with  all  your 
powers,  faculties,  and  talents,  to  his  service.  He  has 
given  up  his  Son  to  buy  you  off  from  the  curse  of  the 
law,  that  is,  from  the  penalty  of  your  past  transgres 
sions,  by  being  himself  made  a  curse  for  you,  or  bear 
ing  the  effects  of  your  sins  in  your  stead.  And  by 
trusting  in  him  you  may  receive  all  that  you  need, 
both  to  do  his  will,  and  to  be  accepted  in  it. 

"If  you  do  not  under  these  circumstances  imme 
diately  commence  his  service,  you  will  incur  tremen 
dous  guilt.  You  will  be  continually  increasing  the 
debt  which  you  already  owe  to  God.  You  will  show 
an  awful  indifference  to  the  wishes  of  God  concern 
ing  you ;  and  also  to  his  interests,  and  the  interests  of 
his  kingdom.  You  will  reject  the  provision  which  he 
has  made  for  your  pardon,  sanctification,  and  salva 
tion.  You  will  cut  yourself  off  from  all  the  benefits 
of  Christ's  death.  You  will  be  farther  than  ever 
before,  treasuring. up  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath. 
You  will  provoke  God  to  say,  Cut  him  down ;  why 
should  he  cumber  the  ground?  And  you  will  show 
that  you  are  not  willing  even  to  attempt  to  be  honest 
towards  God.  In  short,  you  fail  of  deliverance  from 
sin.  You  will  lose  eternal  life  ;  and  after  a  few  days 
of  toil  and  disappointment  on  earth,  during  your  vain 
life,  (which  will  flee  away  as  a  shadow,)  you  will  sink 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  295 

down  to  the  pit,  and  under  the  awful  guilt  of  being 
for  ever  a  self -destroyer. 

"  But  on  the  other  hand,  if  you  will  without  delay 
make  it  your  chief  concern  to  learn  the  whole  will  of 
God,  and  as  you  learn  it,  the  chief  object  without  delay 
to  do  it,  trusting  in  Christ  for  all  that  you  need  ;  and 
henceforward  live  supremely,  not  for  yourself,  or  the 
world,  but  for  God  and  heaven,  that  you  may  glorify 
him  and  become  in  temper  like  him,  and  set  an  exam 
ple  by  doing  the  highest  good  to  men  in  your  power, 
that  all  may  safely  follow,  you  will, 

"  1.  For  Christ's  sake,  and  out  of  regard  to  what 
he  has  done,  be  freely  forgiven  all  your  past  sins. 
And, 

"  2.  You  will  through  him  receive  the  Holy  Ghost 
to  enlighten  your  mind,  purify  your  heart,  and  change 
you  into  his  own  image.  And, 

"3.  You  will  have  peace  of  conscience  and  peace 
with  God.  And, 

"  4.  You  will  experience  more  or  less  of  joy  in 
believing  his  declarations,  and  keeping  his  commands. 

"5.  You  will  ardently  desire  that  all  others  may 
take  the  same  course,  and  you  will  pray  and  make 
efforts  that  they  may.  And, 

"  6.  You  will  have  good  hope  through  grace,  that 
when  absent  from  the  body  you  will  be  present  with 
the  Lord,  see  him  as  he  is,  and  be  like  him.  And, 

"7.  This  hope  will  tend  strongly  now  to  make 
you  more  humble,  more  prayerful,  more  weaned  in 
your  affections  and  expectations  from  this  world,  and 
more  anxious  to  be  prepared  for  the  business  and  joys 
of  the  world  above.  And, 


296  KEY    JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

"  8.  While  it  will  not  deprive  you  of  one  excellence 
of  character,  or  innocent  enjoyment  in  this  world,  or 
in  the  least  hinder  your  success  in  any  lawful  concern, 
it  will  give  you  excellence,  and  that  of  the  highest 
kind,  such  as  is  esteemed  by  angels  and  the  spirits  of 
just  men  made  perfect ;  and  it  will  give  you  joy  com 
pared  with  which  all  that  you  have  yet  experienced, 
or  ever  could  experience,  should  you  have  the  whole 
world,  and  live  here  a  thousand  years  without  relig 
ion,  would  be  like  a  dream  when  one  awaketh. 

"  Halt  then  no  longer,  my  dear  brother,  between 
two  opinions.  Decide  without  delay,  and  remember 
that  you  do  it  for  endless  being.  Life  and  death 
eternal  are  both  before  you.  Choose  life,  and  walk  in 
the  way  that  leads  to  it,  and  it  shall  be  yours,  eternally 
yours,  which  is  the  ardent  desire  and  daily  prayer  of 
"  Your  unworthy,  but  affectionate  brother, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

After  some  years,  this  beloved  brother,  who  was 
made  the  subject  of  prayer  by  his  mother,  sisters 
and  friends,  was  enabled  to  rejoice  in  the  great  sal 
vation,  and  publicly  joined  himself  to  the  people  of 
God. 

To  an  older  brother   of  Mrs.  Edwards),  on  the  death  of  a 
son. 

"  BOSTON,  June  12, 1829. 
"MY   DEARLY  BELOVED   BROTHER    AND    SlSTER — It 

seems  to  be  one  of  the  great  objects  of  God,  in  all  his 
dealings  with  his  people,  to  make  them  feel  that  they 
are  not  at  home  in  this  world,  and  that  there  is  nothing 
on  which  they  can,  with  safety  or  comfort,  place  their 
hearts,  but  himself.  Though  in  great  kindness,  when 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON*  297 

they  arc  panting  under  the  burden  and  heat  of  the 
day,  he  will  often  grant  them  a  gourd  to  shelter 
them,  or  when  they  are  hungry,  a  little  manna  from 
above ;  yet  soon  a  worm  at  the  root  will  cause  the 
gourd  to  wither,  and  that  on  which  they  expected 
-at  some  future  time  to  feast,  will  be  found  to  have 
spoiled.  And  as  they  find  themselves  again  exposed, 
hungry  and  thirsty,  they  will  feel,  and  every  time 
more  and  more  deeply,  that  there  is  no  tree  under 
whose  shadow  they  can  safely  and  permanently  repose, 
but  that  whose  leaves  are  for  the  healing  of  the  na 
tions  j  and  no  bread  which  will  permanently  satisfy 
their  hunger,  but  that  which  cometh  down  from  heaven 
and  giveth  life  to  the  world;  and  no  stream  which 
wrill  quench  their  thirst,  but  that  which  flows  from  the 
throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb.  He  gives  life,  health, 
reason,  friends,  property,  and  all  other  blessings,  as 
seemeth  to  him  good,  and  he  continues  them  as  long 
as  will  consist  with  his  infinite  glory,  and  the  highest 
good  of  his  kingdom,  and  the  personal  benefit  of  those 
that  love  him  ;  and  when  these  require,  he  wisely  and 
kindly  removes  them.  And  blessed  are  they  who  can 
say  from  the  heart,  and  who  do  say  by  their  lives, 
Even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  hath  seemed  good  in  thy 
sight.  Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done,  by  me  and 
mine  and  all.  Let  the  Lord  do  as  seemeth  good  in 
his  sight ;  he  doeth  all  things  well. 

"  He  had  a  Son,  a  dearly  beloved,  an  only  begotten 
Son,  in  whom  he  delighted  with  infinite  delight ;  yet 
when  our  good  required  it,  he  gave  him  freely,  and 
to  all  the  agonies  of  the  cross,  even  under  the  ex 
cruciating  tortures  of  bearing  our  sins  in  his  own 

13V 


298  MEV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D,  D. 

body  on  the  tree ;  and  shall  not  we,  when  his  glory 
and  the  good  of  his  kingdom  require  it,  give  up  and 
be  willing  that  he  should  take  what  he  will  of  his 
own?  Shall  we  not  rather  have  all  our  concerns 
governed  by  infinite  wisdom  and  goodness,  by  One 
who  sees  the  end  from  the  beginning,  and  who  does 
all  things  well,  than  to  govern  them  ourselves?  What 
has  he  ever  done,  what  will  he  ever  do,  which  could 
on  the  whole  be  altered  for  the  better  ?  Trust  in  the 
Lord  with  all  thy  heart,  and  lean  not  to  thine  own 
understanding ;  in  all  thy  ways  acknowledge  him, 
and  he  shall  direct  thy  paths.  They  that  trust  in 
him  shall  be  as  mount  Zion;  they  that  seek  him 
shall  not  want  any  good  thing ;  they  that  do  his 
will  shall  abide  for  ever ;  they  shall  find  it  good  for 
them  to  draw  near  to  him,  that  in  his  presence  is 
fulness  of  joy,  and  at  his  right  hand  are  pleasures 
for  evermore. 

"My  health  is  better  much  than  last  year,  though 
moderate  enough  for  comfort  or  usefulness.  Mrs.  Ed 
wards  thinks,  if  Providence  should  favor  it,  of  taking 
the  children  and  visiting  Colchester  during  the  months 
of  July  and  August,  while  I  go  to  the  Springs,  and 
perhaps  take  a  journey  on  horseback.  Things  here 
are  much  as  usual.  All  send  love. 

"  Your  affectionate  brother, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

In  this  month,  June,  1829,  was  published  in  the 
National  Preacher  his  persuasive  and  awakening  dis 
course,  "Preparation  for  Eternity,"  from  the  text, 
"The  end  of  all  things  is  at  hand;  be  ye  therefore 
sober,  and  watch  unto  prayer." 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  299 

His  family  having  left  the  city  to  spend  the  warm 
season  with  Mrs.  Edwards'  relatives  in  Colchester,  he 
wrote  a  pleasing  letter  to  the  five  younger  children, 
with  special  messages  to  each  of  the  little  ones  ;  hav 
ing  previously  prepared  the  following  counsels  for  the 
eldest,  on  his  leaving  home  to  reside  there  for  a  longer 
period.* 

"  Directions  to  my  dear  son,  Justin  Asa  Edwards, 
when  he  shall  go  to  Connecticut. 

"1.  Remember  God,  and  not  forget  that  he  is 
always  looking  upon  you;  that  he  sees  every  thing 
that  you  do,  hears  every  thing  that  you  say,  and  knows 
every  thing  that  you  think  and  feel. 

"  2.  Every  morning,  and  every  evening,  pray  to 
Him  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  that  he  would  pardon  all 
your  sins,  and  teach  you  to  love  and  serve  him. 

"  3.  Every  day  read  one  chapter  in  the  Bible, 
because  it  is  the  word  of  God,  and  able  to  make  you 
wise  unto  salvation.  Believe  what  it  says,  and  follow 
its  directions. 

"  4.  Strive,  in  every  thing  you  do,  to  please  God ; 
trust  for  all  that  you  need  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  seek 
the  teaching  and  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"5.  Never  do  any  thing  that  you  know  to  be 
wrong. 

"6.  If  you  have  done  wrong,  never  deny  it ;  but 
always  in  all  things  speak  the  truth. 

"7.  Never  be  angry;  and  never  differ  with  other 
boys. 

*  Dr.  Edwards  had  three  sons,  Justin  Asa,  Jonathan,  and  New 
ton;  and  three  younger  daughters,  Elizabeth,  Lydia,  and  Ann 
Eliza,  all  of  whom  survived  their  father. 


300  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

"  8.  Remember  the  Sabbath-day,  and  keep  it  holy. 
When  you  go  to  meeting  attend  to  the  preaching, 
remember  the  text,  and  as  much  of  the  sermon  as  you 
can,  and  repeat  it  to  your  uncle  and  aunt  when  you 
get  home. 

"9.  Do  not  forget  that  you  may  die  while  you  are 
young,  and  not  live  to  grow  up. 

"  10.  Read  Janeway's  Token  for  Children  and  other 
good  books  which  tell  you  about  good  boys,  and  strive 
to  be  like  them. 

"11.  Think  much  about  Jesus  Christ,  and  try  to 
be  like  him.  Love  and  serve  him  with  all  your  heart, 
and  then  when  you  die  you  will  go  and  dwell  with 
him  and  all  good  people  in  heaven. 

"  Remember  that  these  directions  were  written  by 
your  affectionate  father,  who  loves  you,  thinks  much 
about  you,  and  ardently  wishes  that  you  may  love 
God,  and  do  much  good. 

"  Pray  for  your  affectionate  father, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

To  the  members  of  Salem  church,  Boston. 

"  BOSTON,  July  15, 1829. 

"DEAR  BRETHREN  AND  FRIENDS — On  Monday  of 
this  week,  I  received  an  appointment  from  the  Amer 
ican  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Temperance,  to  act 
as  agent  for  that  Society  for  the  space  of  one  year.  I 
have  also  received  an  appointment  as  agent  of  the 
General  Union  for  promoting  the  observance  of  the 
Christian  Sabbath. 

"  As  my  health  has  required  me  to  be  absent  from 
you  much  in  time  past,  and,  I  fear,  will  require  me  in 
future  to  be  absent  more  than  is  consistent  with  the 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN   BOSTON.  301 

highest  usefulness  of  a  pastor ;  and  as  the  journeyings 
to  which  the  acceptance  of  either  of  the  above-men 
tioned  appointments  would  call  me,  would  probably 
be  more  conducive  to  a  sound  and  vigorous  state  of 
health,  than  the  labors  of  a  city  pastor,  I  am  led 
seriously  to  inquire  whether  your  good,  and  that  of 
the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  might  not 
probably  be  promoted  by  a  dissolution  of  my  pastoral 
connection,  that  I  may  be  at  liberty,  should  it  appear 
to  be  the  divine  will,  to  accept  for  a  time  one  of  the 
above-mentioned  appointments,  or  any  other  to  which 
Providence  may  appear  to  call  me. 

"  I  shall  endeavor  to  ascertain  the  will  of  God, 
and  with  his  leave  will,  in  two  or  three  weeks,  com 
municate  to  you  the  result  of  my  contemplations  on 
the  subject.  In  the  mean  time,  I  ask  an  interest  in 
your  prayers,  that  I  may  be  guided  in  all  things  by 
wisdom  from  above,  be  led  in  that  way  which  will 
conduce  most  to  the  divine  glory,  to  our  mutual  spir 
itual  advantage,  and  to  the  good  of  the  kingdom  of 
Jehovah. 

"Wishing  you,  and  all  connected  with  you,  the 
guidance  and  blessing  of  the  Lord;  praying  that  He 
will  dwell  among  you  by  his  Spirit,  and  communicate 
to  you  richly  the  blessings  of  his  grace,  I  am 

"  Your  much  obliged  and  grateful  pastor, 

«J.  EDWARDS." 

To  Mrs.   Edwards. 

^SARATOGA  SPRINGS,  July  25, 1829. 
"MY  DEAR  WIFE — Loving-kindness  and  tender 
mercy  have  followed  me  continually  since  I  left  Col 
chester.    The  first  night  I  lodged  in  Springfield.    The 


302  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D 

next  day  at  eleven  o'clock  I  was  on  the  summit  of 
mount  Tom,  from  which  I  had  one  of  the  most  delight 
ful  prospects  in  the  world;  dined  at  Westhampton, 
found  all  well,  and  all  send  much  love.  The  next 
day,  Wednesday,  I  went  to  Williarnstown ;  and  saw 
it  for  the  first  time  for  nineteen  years.  I  slept  in  the 
house  where  I  dined  on  Commencement-day,  and  the 
next  morning  had  some  very  impressive  views  of  the 
shortness  of  human  life — to  think  that  it  was  nine 
teen  years  since  I  was  there,  and  yet  it  looked  like 
yesterday.  I  recollect  the  countenances  and  the  con 
versation  of  that  day  with  perfect  distinctness.  Nine 
teen  years  more,  should  I  live  in  this  world,  will  make 
me  sixty-one  years  old.  Surely  life  is  a  vapor  ;  but 
if  spent  for  God,  it  will  be  just  long  enough,  and  filled 
with  just  mercies  enough,  and  trials  enough,  and  every 
thing  enough,  to  fit  the  soul  for  heaven  and  for  the 
everlasting  enjoyment  of  God.  In  the  morning  I 
visited  the  grave  of  my  classmate ;  saw  the  place  where 
Mills,  Richards,  and  other  good  men  used  to  pray ; 
and  then  called  upon,  and  spent  the  forenoon  with 
Dr.  Griffin. 

"  Your  affectionate  husband, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 

To  the  members   of  Salem  church,  Boston. 

"SARATOGA  SPRINGS,  Aug.  1, 1829. 

"DEAR  BRETHREN  AND  FRIENDS — On  the  subject 
of  my  last  communication  to  you,  I  would  observe, 
that  so  far  as  I  at  present  understand  the  indications 
of  Providence,  it  appears  to  be  the  divine  will,  that  I 
should  request  that  my  pastoral  connection  with  you 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  303 

may  be  dissolved.  I  do  therefore  hereby  request,  that 
my  pastoral  and  ministerial  connection  with  Salem 
church  and  congregation,  Boston,  may  be  dissolved  ; 
provided  it  shall  appear,  to  an  ecclesiastical  council 
called  for  that  purpose,  to  be  the  divine  will. 

"  I  have  been  led  to  make  the  above  request  from 
the  following  considerations : 

"  1.  It  appears  to  me  that  it  will  be  more  for  your 
good,  and  that  of  your  children,  to  have  a  pastor  who 
can  spend  his  whole  time  with  you,  than  to  have  one 
who  is  required  to  be  absent  from  you  as  much  as  I 
have  been,  and  probably  must  be  in  future,  should  my 
pastoral  connection  with  you  be  continued. 

"2.  To  engage,  at  least  for  a  time,  in  some  em 
ployment,  that  will  call  for  habitual  and  vigorous 
bodily  exercise,  will,  I  believe,  be  more  conducive 
to  my  health,  than  to  continue  the  labors  of  a  city 
pastor. 

"3.  Should  the  Lord,  by  a  course  of  active  em 
ployment,  give  me  health,  it  is  probable  that  I  can 
be  more  useful  to  the  church  of  God  and  the  world 
in  some  other  situation,  than  I  can  with  my  present 
health,  or  the  health  that  I  can  expect  to  enjoy,  as 
pastor  of  Salem  church. 

"  And  if,  dear  brethren  and  friends,  in  view  of  the 
above  considerations,  it  shall  appear  to  you  to  be  in 
accordance  with  the  divine  will,  I  would  invite  you, 
and  I  do  hereby  invite  you  to  unite  with  me  in  calling 
an  ecclesiastical  council  to  consider,  and  if  they  think 
proper,  to  comply  with  the  above  request.  *  *  * 

"  Praying  and  expecting  that  the  Lord  will  dwell 
among  you  by  his  Spirit,  build  you  up  as  a  church,. 


304  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

and  give  you  and  your  children  an  inheritance  among 
all  them  that  are  sanctified, 

"I  am  your  grateful  and  affectionate  pastor, 

"J.EDWARDS. 
"  To  SAMUEL  TENNEY,  Clerk  of  Salem  church,  Boston." 

With  this  request  the  church  felt  it  to  be  their 
duty  to  comply,  and  on  the  20th  of  August,  1829,  his 
relations  as  pastor  of  a  confiding,  united  people  were 
again  dissolved. 

His  last  year's  labor  as  pastor  had  been  a  con 
stant  struggle  to  fulfil  his  high  responsibilities,  while 
every  exciting  effort  he  made  but  disabled  him  the 
more.  His  heart  was  intent  on  the  work  upon  his 
hands.  He  wished  to  see  the  house  of  God  filled  with 
spiritual  worshippers,  rescued  from  the  highways  of 
sin  and  the  labyrinths  of  destructive  and  prevailing 
error.  He  wished  to  see  Boston  redeemed,  and  her 
energies  consecrated  to  Christ  and  the  salvation  of 
men.  The  prospects  in  his  early  labors  there  had 
been  bright  as  the  rising  dawn  ;  the  gift  of  gifts,  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  was  richly  descending  ;  God 
was  with  him ;  every  thing  indicated  that  the  most 
sanguine  hopes  would  be  realized  •  and  when  he  sunk 
under  the  pressure  of  labor,  he  still  hoped  that  his 
vigorous  physical  powers  would  rally.  But  the  work 
ing  of  the  moral  machinery  within,  the  fire  burning  in 
him  as  he  put  forth  his  impassioned  appeals  to  rouse 
men  from  the  slumber  of  death,  and  wake  them, 
through  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  to  life  eternal ;  the 
bearing  of  others'  burdens  in  the  Christian  counsel  he 
was  continually  called  to  give ;  and  his  keen  sense  of 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  305 

responsibility  to  God  and  men,  had  deranged  some  of 
those  delicate  organs  on. which  the  healthy  action  of 
the  physical  frame  depends.  He  sought  rest  and  rec 
reation  ;  he  and  his  people  hoped  against  hope ;  till 
it  became  clear  to  all,  including  the  best  medical  ad 
visers,  that  he  must  resign  his  charge,  leave  the  city, 
and  seek  a  more  active  out-door  life ;  or  his  cenotaph 
and  his  precious  memory  would  ere  long  be  all  that 
his  devoted  people  could  retain  of  him. 

This  was  the  turning-point  of  his  history.  He 
had  been  "  watching  providence,"  and  by  a  discipline, 
doubtless  as  kind  as  it  was  trying,  God  had  been  de 
ciding  the  point  that  he  must  close  his  labors  as  pas 
tor,  and  enter  on  plans  of  benevolent  effort  wide  as 
the  world,  which  were  to  mark  the  age  in  which  he 
lived. 

Being  dismissed,  as  above  stated,  on  the  20th  of 
August,  and  regarding  the  claims  of  the  Temperance 
Society,  which  he  had  left  for  the  charge  in  Boston, 
as  taking  precedence  of  others  then  laid  before  him, 
he,  on  the  27th  of  the  same  month,  resumed  his  labors 
in  that  department  of  benevolence  which  must  ever 
be  associated  with  his  name. 

Among  the  calls  made  at  this  time  for  his  public 
services,  were  an  invitation  to  a  professorship  in  a 
New  England  college  j  overtures  for  the  professor 
ship  of  sacred  rhetoric  in  the  Theological  seminary  at 
Auburn  •  besides  his  appointment,  above  referred  to, 
as  agent  of  the  General  Union  for  promoting  the  ob 
servance  of  the  Christian  Sabbath,  formed  in  the  city 
of  New  York.  In  declining  the  last-mentioned  ap 
pointment,  he  says,  "Sabbath-breakers  are  generally 


306  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

rum-drinkers  ;  and  while  they  continue  the  use  of  dis 
tilled  liquors,  it  will  not  be  possible  to  lead  them  duly 
to  observe  the  Christian  Sabbath.  In  order,  there 
fore,  to  accomplish  the  great  object  of  the  General 
Sabbath  Union,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Bible  Society, 
the  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  societies,  and  every 
other  benevolent  institution,  I  think  it  proper  for  me 
at  present  to  labor  to  banish  the  use  of  distilled 
liquors  from  the  earth." 

Without  rebelling  against  the  decisions  of  a  wise 
and  unerring  Providence,  who  had  purposed  that  Dr, 
Edwards  should  yet  be  employed  successively  in  four 
great  public  enterprises  and  institutions  of  the  age, 
we  yet  record  with  a  degree  of  sadness  the  termina 
tion  of  his  labors  as  pastor  of  a  church  of  Christ,  for 
which  God  had  given  him  such  distinguished  qualifi 
cations  ;  while  it  must  be  acknowledged,  that  by  his 
experience  in  the  pastoral  office,  he  was  trained  and 
fitted  for  the  eminent  usefulness  he  attained  in  other 
spheres  of  action.  On  the  whole,  the  indications  of 
Providence  have  perhaps  rarely  been  more  clear,  than 
that,  in  his  existing  state  of  health,  he  was  now  called 
to  resign  the  pastoral  charge ;  and  at  the  same  time, 
that  he  must  throw  himself  again  into  the  great  tem 
perance  movement,  which  God  had  made  him  so  prom 
inent  an  instrument  in  originating ;  its  journeyings 
and  active  labors,  however  toilsome  and  self-denying, 
being  precisely  what  was  necessary  to  restore  his 
health  and  prolong  his  usefulness. 

In  his  successful  labors  as  pastor  at  Andover  and 
Boston,  he  reached  an  eminence  which  few  servants  of 
God  in  the  ministry  have  attained,  and  the  sweet 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  307 

savor  of  that  period  of  his  life  must  ever  remain,  as 
cending  like  incense,  acceptable  to  God.  He  was  the 
man  whom  such  parents  as  the  lamented  Hon.  Samuel 
Hubbard,  as  he  has  said  in  the  extract  quoted  above, 
the  praying  members  of  the  church  at  Andover,  the 
church  in  Salem-street,  the  church  in  Park-street,  the 
First  Presbyterian  church  in  Philadelphia,  and  those 
single-hearted  Christians  who  united  for  the  new  en 
terprise  in  the  city  of  New  York,  wished  as  their  pas 
tor,  to  stand  between  a  sin-offended  God  and  their 
own  souls  and  the  souls  of  their  children ;  to  draw 
eternal  truth  from  the  inspired  oracles  by  which  the 
famishing  soul  might  be  fed ;  to  guide  them  to  Christ 
the  only  Redeemer,  and  to  the  Holy  Spirit  the  only 
Sanctifier ;  to  preach  "  the  glorious  gospel  of  the 
blessed  God  ;"  to  throw  his  heavenly  influence  into  the 
family  circle,  in  prosperity  and  joy,  in  sickness  and  in 
sorrow,  and  on  the  bed  of  death  ;  the  pastor  to  whom 
they  were  to  unbosom  the  burdens  of  their  hearts, 
who  would  betray  no  confidence  reposed  in  him, 
would  counsel  them  in  difficulties,  promote  their  peace 
with  God  and  one  another,  and  guide  them  in  all  the 
way  of  life.  They  insisted  not  on  classical  elegance, 
•refined  human  speculations,  the  polished  gesture,  or 
the  beautiful  trope ;  but  loved  the  man  of  God, "  mighty 
in  the  Scriptures,"  set  for  the  defence  of  the  gospel, 
and  intent  on  guiding  men  to  "the  Lamb  of  God  which 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  Such  a  pastor 
they  wished  to  labor  with  them  through  life,  and  at 
last  to  present  them  faultless  before  the  throne  of  God 
with  exceeding  joy. 


308  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

We  find  a  pleasing  letter  referring  to  his  charac 
ter  as  pastor,  from  the  late  excellent  Rev.  Dr.  Eben- 
ezer  Porter,  professor  in  the  Theological  .Seminary, 
to  whom  Dr.  Edwards  had  written  before  the  close  of 
his  first  year  in  Boston,  for  counsel  as  to  accepting 
the  presidency  of  a  college  at  the  West. 

"ANDOVER,  Nov.  25, 1828. 

"MY  DEAR  SIR — My  only  reason  for  not  writing 
sooner  is,  that  I  deferred  the  subject  one  week  for  a 
meeting  of  the  faculty,  it  being  difficult  in  the  multitude 
of  our  engagements  to  get  any  consultation  earlier. 
The  result  is  just  as  heretofore,  that  in  our  opinion 
God  made  you  for  pastoral  action  and  influence.  We 
have  no  doubt  that  a  great  work  in  the  West  is  to  be 
done,  and  that  you  have  many  eminent  qualifications 
to  do  it.  But  as  that  work  will  require  immense 
mental  effort  and  responsibility,  probably  it  would  be 
more  unfavorable  to  your  health,  (lungs  being  sound 
in  your  case,)  than  the  ministry,  for  which  you  have  so 
much  stock  of  furniture  on  hand. 

"With  your  present  prospect  of  health,  it  seems 
that  Boston  at  present  is  your  field.  To  this  opinion 
I  am  inclined  by  other  considerations  which  render 
your  influence  specially  important  there  in  the  present 
posture  of  its  ministerial  organization.  Dr.  Church, 
whom  I  saw  the  day  I  received  your  letter,  sponta 
neously  expressed  an  opinion  similar  to  the  foregoing. 

"  The  Lord  guide  and  bless  you. 

"Your  brother, 

"E.  PORTER. 

"  P.  S.  It  may  gratify  you  to  know  that  our  ship  is 
again  before  the  wind,  with  a  fine  breeze.  Our  chapel, 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  309 

at  prayers,  is  so  full  that  a  part  of  the  Senior  class  are 
seated  on  the  platform  by  the  desk.  The  Junior  class 
is  forty-eight  or  fifty,  probably  some  more  coming ; 
Middle  class,  about  forty ;  Senior  class,  thirty-five. 
Not  more  than  two  or  three  members  of  the  seminary 
absent ;  the  two  old  classes  were  all  here,  with  few 
exceptions,  the  first  day  of  the  term ;  four  new  mem 
bers  of  the  Senior  class,  two  from  Princeton,  and  two 
more  in  the  Middle  class.  Pray  that  we  may  be  guided 
from  above  in  our  great  work." 

The  Rev.  Dr.  William  Goodell,  the  veteran  mis 
sionary  on  the  Mediterranean,  in  his  recent  visit  to 
this  country,  poured  out  the  fervor  of  his  warm  heart, 
as  he  spoke  of  the  solemn,  glowing,  resistless  power 
with  which  Dr.  Edwards  proclaimed  "the  terror  of 
the  Lord,"  and  salvation  only  by  Jesus  Christ  and  the 
renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  when  he  sat  under  his 
preaching  while  a  student  at  the  academy  in  Andover, 
fitting  for  college  ;  and  then  afterwards,  when  he  had 
returned  to  the  Theological  Seminary,  and  was  one 
of  many  students  who,  as  often  as  propriety  admitted, 
repaired  to  his  church,  and  refreshed  their  spirits  by 
waiting  on  his  public  ministrations. 

Dr.  Edwards'  sermon  on  the  Inspiration  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  his  tract,  the  Way  to  be  Saved,  had 
been  translated  by  Rev.  Dr.  Goodell,  and  circulated 
in  several  languages,  concerning  which  he  writes  to 
his  esteemed  and  beloved  friend  the  author. 

"MALTA,  July  25,1829. 

"  REV.  AND  DEAR  SIR — Your  sermon  on  '  the  Inspi 
ration  of  the  Holy  Scriptures/  in  rfrmeno-Turkish,  I 


310  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

forwarded  to  you  on  the  27th  ult. ;  and,  lest  it  should 
not  have  been  previously  sent  you  in  Italian  and  Mod 
ern-Greek,  I  now  forward  you  a  copy  in  each  of  these 
languages.  I  forward  also  at  this  time  your  sermon 
on  'the  Way  to  be  Saved'  in  Modern- Greek  and  Jlr- 
meno-Turkish.  The  text  under  the  cut  in  the  latter 
is,  '  For  it  is  not  possible,  that  the  blood  of  bulls  and 
of  goats  should  take  away  sins.7  The  poetry  at  the 
close  and  on  the  cover  is  on  salvation  by  grace  through 
the  blood  of  Christ,  by  Wortabet. 

"Many  copies  of  it  in  Modern-Greek  have  already 
been  sent  forth  to  '  show  the  way  of  salvation '  to  per 
ishing  men.  And  many  others  will  soon  follow  in 
both  of  the  above-mentioned  languages,  and  will  prob 
ably  go  '  throughout  all  Judea,  and  Galilee,  and  Sa 
maria;'  will  'travel  as  far  as  Phenice,  and  Cyprus, 
and  Antioch ;'  will '  come  to  Perga  in  Pamphylia/  and 
'to  Antioch  in  Pisidia,'  and  'to  Lystra,  and  Derbe, 
cities  of  Lycaonia,'  and  'to  Philippi,  the  chief  city  of 
Macedonia/  and  'to  the  seven  churches  that  are  in 
Asia;'  and  will  be  read  'in  the  midst  of  Mars'  hill/ 
and  '  in  the  isle  of  Patmos/  and  at  Corinth  and 
Colosse  and  Thessalonica,  at  Scio  and  Samos  and 
Rhodes  and  Miletus,  and  by  '  the  strangers  scattered 
throughout  Pontus,  Galatia,  Cappadocia,  Asia,  and 
Bithynia.'  May  it,  like  '  the  grace  of  God,  that  bring- 
eth  salvation,  appear  to  all'  these  and  many  others, 
'  teaching  them,  that  denying  ungodliness  and  worldly 
lusts,  they  should  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly 
in  this  present  world!'  And  may  many  of  the  ser 
mons  which  you  shall  hereafter  preach,  be  not  only 
like  a  lamp,  giving  light  to  a  circumscribed  spot,  but 


HIS  MINISTRY  IN  BOSTON.  311 

like  the  sun,  emitting  its  rays  to  the  poles,  and  enlight 
ening  now  this,  now  that  entire  half  of  the  globe. 

"  You  will  accept,  dear  sir,  our  kind  regards  for 
yourself  and  yours,  and  our  best  wishes  for  your  suc 
cess  in  the  work  of  the  ministry ;  and  will  remember 
us  and  ours,  and  our  important  work,  in  your  prayers. 
"  Yours  affectionately, 

"W.  GOODELL." 


312  REV.   JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

HIS    LABORS    IN    THE   TEMPERANCE    REFORMA 
TION. 

FIRST   TWO  YEARS  — 1830,   1831. 

ON  the  27th  August,  1829,  Dr.  Edwards,  at  the 
distinct  call  of  divine  Providence,  turned  aside  from 
the  labors  of  the  pastoral  office,  and  concentrated  the 
powerful  energies  of  his  mind  and  heart  on  the  enter 
prise  he  had  already  done  so  much  to  originate  and 
establish,  the  promotion  of  TOTAL  ABSTINENCE  FROM 
INTOXICATING  DRINKS,  and  thus  the  removal  of  one  of  the 
most  terrific  obstacks  to  the  spread  of  the  gospel — a  novel 
idea,  majestic  in  its  simplicity,  for  which  millions  bless 
God,  and  which,  if  universally  put  in  practice,  would 
rid  this  sin-ruined  world  of  one  of  the  heaviest  curses 
under  which  it  groans. 

The  intelligent  Christian  reader  will  mark  with 
interest,  in  the  preceding  pages,  that  long  train  of 
providential  events  by  which  Dr.  Edwards  was  pre 
pared  for  and  brought  into  this  service  as  General 
Agent  and  Secretary  of  the  American  Temperance 
Society : — his  early  training — his  consecration  to  the 
universal  spread  of  the  gospel — his  being  led  to  feel, 
as  a  pastor,  the  influence  of  intemperance  palsying 
the  truth  from  his  own  lips  and  spreading  desolation 
among  those  he  loved — the  particular  providences 
which  concentrated  his  attention  upon  this  subject — 
the  success  of  endeavors  among  his  own  people — the 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  313 

strong  hold  the  subject  took  upon  the  minds  of  the 
ablest  and  best  of  men  with  whom  he  was  accustomed 
to  act — the  feeling  that  the  responsibility  of  rousing 
and  directing  the  public  mind  on  this  subject  rested 
much  upon  himself—  and  that  state  of  his  physical  sys 
tem  which  compelled  him  to  relinquish  the  labors  of 
a  pastor  and  a  sedentary  life. 

The  history  of  THE  ORIGIN  AND  PROGRESS  of  this 
wonderful  movement,  to  the  period  when  he  commenc 
ed  his  seven  years  of  labor,  which  form  so  prominent 
an  era  in  his  life  and  in  the  benevolent  enterprises  of 
the  age,  we  are  permitted  to  give  mainly  in  the  terse, 
well-weighed,  and  glowing  language  of  his  own  pen 
in  a  public  document,  though  recorded  with  such  char 
acteristic  delicacy,  that  most  of  the  allusions  to  his 
own  efficient  endeavors  are  perceptible  only  to  those 
otherwise  cognizant  of  the  facts. 

Having  stated  that  the  fatal  error,  that  ardent 
spirit  is  useful  as  an  article  of  diet,  or  as  an  aid  to 
labor,  began  to  prevail  in  Great  Britain  less  than 
three  hundred  years  ago,  and  did  not  prevail  gener 
ally  among  the  mass  of  the  people  in  our  own  country 
until  after  the  war  of  the  Revolution ;  that  "  the  cause 
of  this  error  was  the  deceptive  feelings  of  those  who 
use  it :  being  in  its  nature  a  mocker,  it  deceived  them  ; 
by  disturbing  healthy  action  and  inducing  disease,  it 
created  an  unnatural  thirst,  the  gratification  of  which, 
like  the  gratification  of  the  desire  of  sinning  in  the 
man  who  sins,  causes  it  to  increase,  and  the  end  is 
death ;"  and  having  presented  a  summary  view  of  the 
wide-spread  ravages  of  intemperance  upon  property, 
health,  reason,  life,  morals,  and  religion,  at  which  the 

Edwardi.  1 4 


314  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

intelligent,  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  had  become 
appalled,  and  were  uttering  their  loud  notes  of  woe 
and  of  alarm,  while  yet  governments  and  churches, 
ministers  and  people,  philanthropists  and  Christians,  still 
favored  the  making,  vending,  and  moderate  use  ! — he  thus 
proceeds : 

"  But  a  great  change  has  been  commenced ;  and 
one  which,  in  the  rapidity  and  extent  of  its  progress, 
has  no  parallel  in  the  history  of  man.  Already  it  is 
spoken  of,  by  the  wise  and  the  good  in  this  and  other 
countries,  as  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world. 

" '  The  great  discovery/  says  a  European  writer, 
'  has  at  length  come  forth  like  the  light  of  a  new  day, 
that  the  temperate  members  of  society  are  the  chief 
agents  in  promoting  and  perpetuating  drunkenness. 
On  whose  mind  this  great  truth  first  rose,  is  not 
known.  Whoever  he  was,  whether  humble  or  great, 
peace  to  his  memory.  He  has  done  more  for  the 
world  than  he  who  enriched  it  with  the  knowledge  of 
a  new  continent ;  and  posterity,  to  the  remotest  gen 
eration,  shall  walk  in  the  light  which  he  has  thrown 
around  them.  Had  it  not  been  for  him,  Americans 
and  Europeans  might  have  continued  to  countenance 
the  moderate  ordinary  use  of  a  substance,  whose  most 
moderate  ordinary  use  is  temptation  and  danger ; 
and  amidst  a  flood  of  prejudice  and  temptation  urged 
onward  by  themselves,  they  would  have  made  rules 
against  drunkenness,  like  ropes  of  sand,  to  be  burst 
and  buried  by  the  coming  wave.' 

"About  seventeen  years  ago>  a  communication  was 
made  by  a  member  of  this  committee,"  (Dr.  Edwards 
himself,  in  1815,  two  or  three  years  after  he  was  set- 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  315 

tied  at  Andover,)  "  on  the  evils  of  using  intoxicating 
liquors  at  funerals;  and  reasons  were  presented,  why 
this  practice,  which  had  become  common  in  some 
parts  of  the  country,  should  be  done  away.  Not  long 
after,  he  made  another  communication  on  the  evils  of 
furnishing  ardent  spirit  as  an  article  of  entertainment, 
especially  to  ministers  of  the  gospel  j  a  practice  which 
was  also  common,  and  was  thought  by  many  to  be  a 
suitable  expression  of  respect  and  kindness  towards 
the  ministerial  office.  The  effects  were  strongly  mark 
ed;  and  some  persons  from  that  time  adopted  the 
plan  of  not  using  ardent  spirit  on  any  occasion.  The 
benefits  of  abstinence  were  striking ;  facts  were  col 
lected,  and  arrangements  made  for  a  more  extended 
exhibition  of  this  subject.  Men  were  found  who  had 
been  led  by  their  own  reflection,  in  view  of  the  evil 
which  it  occasions,  to  renounce  the  use  of  this  poi 
son  •  and  others,  who  had  never  used  it  •  yet,  as  a 
body,  they  enjoyed  better  health  than  those  who  con 
tinued  to  use  it,  were  more  uniform  and  consistent  in 
their  deportment,  and  more  ready  for  every  good 
word  and  work. 

"  In  1822,  (1824?)  a  teamster,  partially  intoxicated, 
by  using  what  some  persons,  for  less,  probably,  than 
twenty-five  cents,  had  given  him,  fell  under  the  wheels 
of  his  wagon,  and  was  crushed  to  death.  Another 
man,  tending  a  coalpit,  became  partially  intoxicated, 
fell  asleep  on  some  straw,  and  was  burnt  to  death. 
These  events  occasioned  the  delivery  of  two  discourses, 
(by  Dr.  Edwards,)  one  on  the  wretchedness  of  intem 
perate  men,  and  another  on  the  duty  of  preventing  sober 
men  from  becoming  intemperate ,  that  when  the  present 


316  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

race  of  drunkards  should  be  removed,  the  whole  land  might 
be  free.  The  means  of  doing  this,  the  sure  means,  and 
the  only  means,  were  shown  to  be,  abstinence  from  the 
use  of  intoxicating  liquors.  This  was  shown,  by  facts, 
to  be  both  practicable  and  expedient,  and  was  urged 
as  the  indispensable  duty  of  all  men ;  a  duty  which 
they  owed  to  God,  to  themselves,  their  children,  their 
country,  and  the  world. 

"This  doctrine  appeared  to  many  to  be  strange; 
excited  great  attention,  occasioned  much  conversa 
tion,  and  through  the  blessing  of  the  Lord,  produced 
great  results.  It  was  again  and  again  enforced.  A 
conviction  of  the  duty  of  abstinence  was  fastened  on 
many  consciences ;  and  it  became  evident  from  facts, 
that  this  doctrine  is  adapted  to  commend  itself  to 
every  man's  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God. 

"  And  the  question  arose,  Who  knows,  should  the 
subject  be  presented  kindly  and  plainly  throughout 
the  United  States — be  illustrated  by  facts,  and  pressed 
on  the  conscience — but  that  it  may,  through  the  divine 
blessing,  change  the  habits  of  the  nation  ?  Who  knows, 
but  that  our  children,  and  children's  children,  may  be 
raised  up  free  from  this  abomination,  to  be  instrumen 
tal  in  perpetuating  the  blessings  of  free  institutions — 
to  be  themselves  made  free  by  the  Son  of  God — and 
to  spread  the  light  and  glory  of  that  freedom  round 
the  globe  ? 

"In  1825,  the  present  Corresponding  Secretary 
wrote  the  tract  No.  176  of  the  American  Tract  Soci 
ety's  series,  entitled,  'THE  WELL-CONDUCTED  FARM/ 
exhibiting  the  happy  results  of  an  experiment  made  by 
an  original  member  of  this  committee,  in  the  introduc- 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  317 

tion  of  the  principle  of  total  abstinence  upon  an  exten 
sive  farming  establishment  in  the  county  of  Worces 
ter,  Mass.  This  tract  was  the  same  year  printed,  and 
circulated  extensively  through  the  country. 

"  The  evils  of  using,  and  the  benefits  of  abstaining 
from  ardent  spirit,  became  more  and  more  conspicu 
ous  ;  and  also  the  necessity,  as  well  as  the  encourage 
ment,  to  make  more  systematic,  general,  and  perse 
vering  efforts  on  the  subject.  Individuals  not  only 
abstained,  but  in  some  cases  agreed  together,  that 
they  would  not  use  or  furnish  to  others  that  destruc 
tive  poison.  But  there  was  no  system,  no  plan  of 
operation,  to  cause  such  a  union  to  become  universal ; 
and  it  was  evident,  that  unless  something  more  uni 
versal,  efficacious,  and  persevering  should  be  done,  our 
country  would  be  ruined ;  the  gospel  would  never 
have  its  legitimate  influence  over  the  human  mind, 
and  the  reign  of  darkness  and  sin  would  be  perpetu 
ated  to  the  end  of  time.  Past  efforts,  though  they 
had  on  some  spots  and  in  some  cases  done  good,  had 
not  struck  at  the  root  of  the  evil.  Their  object  was, 
to  regulate  the  use  of  ardent  spirit,  not  to  abolish  it. 
Those  who  made  it  admitted,  and  most  of  them  prac 
tised,  the  fundamental  error,  that  men  in  health 
might,  without  injury,  and  of  course  without  sin,  use 
the  poison,  if  they  did  not  use  too  much.  This  was  the 
case  with  members  of  societies  for  the  suppression  of 
intemperance.  Thus,  while  they  only  retarded  the 
growth,  or  clipped  off  a  few  of  the  top  twigs  of  this 
poisonous  tree,  the  roots  were  constantly  nourished, 
and  daily  struck  deeper  and  deeper.  While  the  friends 
of  temperance  were  reforming  one  old  drunkard,  their 


318  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

own  habits,  if  followed,  would  make  a  hundred  new 
ones.  They  were  indeed  sounding  the  alarm,  but 
were  treading  in  the  footsteps  of  the  lost ;  denouncing 
intemperance,  and  encouraging  the  use  of  strong  drink ; 
bewailing  the  effect,  and  perpetuating  the  cause  ;  warn 
ing  men  not  to  be  drunken,  and  urging  them  to  drink. 
Many  were  enraged,  almost  to  madness,  at  those  who 
represented  the  use  of  ardent  spirit  to  be  a  sin ;  and 
though  they  had  followed  a  promising  son  to  the  drunk 
ard's  grave,  and  were  expecting  soon  to  follow  anoth 
er,  and  another,  they  would  denounce  as  enthusiasts 
and  treat  as  enemies,  those  who  urged  them  not  to 
drink.  The  husband  who  had  lost  his  wife  by  intem 
perance,  would,  for  the  sake  of  money,  furnish  that 
which  killed  her  to  all  who  would  purchase,  and  even 
give  it,  as  a  token  of  kindness,  to  his  nearest  friends. 
The  wife  who  had  seen  her  husband  die  by  this  poison, 
would  use  it  herself,  and  give  it  daily  to  her  only 
son.  And  it  was  perfectly  evident,  that  unless  a  new 
movement  could  be  started  on  a  new  plan,  and  one 
which  should  be  commensurate,  in  place  and  time, 
with  the  evil — one  which  should  strike  it  at  the  root  and 
exterminate  it — drunkenness  could  never  be  done  away; 
the  people  would  never  become  'all  righteous/  nor 
the  day  of  millennial  glory  ever  break  on  the  world. 

"A  meeting  of  a  few  individuals  was  therefore 
called/7  (near  the  close  of  1825,)  "to  consider  the 
question,  '  What  shall  be  done  to  banish  intemperance 
from  the  United  States  V 

"After  prayer  for  divine  guidance,  and  consulta 
tion  on  the  subject,  the  result  was  a  determination  to 
attempt  the  formation  of  an  AMERICAN  TEMPERANCE 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  319 

SOCIETY,  whose  grand  principle  should  be,  abstinence 
from  strong  drink;  and  its  object,  by  light  and  love,  to 
change  the  habits  of  the  nation  with  regard  to  the  use 
of  intoxicating  liquors. 

"A  correspondence  was  therefore  opened,  and  a 
meeting  of  gentlemen,  of  various  Christian  denomina 
tions,  holden  in  Boston,  January  10,  1826,  when  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  prepare  a  constitution, 
and  the  meeting  was  adjourned  to  February  13,  1826. 

"At  the  adjourned  meeting,  a  constitution  was 
presented  and  adopted,  and  the  following  persons 
were  chosen  by  the  members  of  the  meeting  at  the 
commencement,  to  compose  the  Society  :  namely,  Eev. 
Leonard  Woods,  D.  D. ;  Eev.  William  Jenks,  D.  D. ; 
Rev.  Justin  Edwards ;  Rev.  Warren  Fay ;  Rev.  Ben 
jamin  B.  Wisner ;  Rev.  Francis  Wayland ;  Rev.  Tim 
othy  Merritt;  Hon.  Marcus  Morton;  Hon.  Samuel 
Hubbard;  Hon.  William  Reed;  Hon.  George  Odi- 
orne ;  John  Tappan,  Esq. ;  William  Ropes,  Esq. ; 
James  P.  Chaplin,  M.  D. ;  S.  V.  S.  Wilder,  Esq. ; 
and  Enoch  Hale,  M.  D.  The  Society  was  then  organ 
ized  by  choosing  the  Hon.  Marcus  Morton,  President ; 
Hon.  Samuel  Hubbard,  Vice-president ;  William  Ropes, 
Esq.,  Treasurer.  Executive  Committee  :  Rev.  Leon 
ard  Woods,  D.  D. ;  Rev.  Justin  Edwards  ;  John  Tap- 
pan,  Esq. ;  Hon.  George  Odiorne,  and  S.  V.  S.  Wil 
der,  Esq. 

"  On  the  sixteenth  of  January,  Rev.  Calvin  Chapin, 
D.  D.,  of  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  commenced  the  publica 
tion  of  a  series  of  thirty-three  numbers,  in  the  Con 
necticut  Observer,  entitled,  'THE  INFALLIBLE  ANTI 
DOTE.'  His  motto  was,  'Entire  abstinence  from  ardent 


320  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

spirits  is  the  only  certain  preventive  of  intemperance. 
This  was  strikingly  illustrated  in  the  various  numbers, 
and  strongly  urged  upon  all  as  an  indispensable  duty. 
He  had  himself,  as  had  a  number  of  others,  practised 
it  for  many  years,  and  urged  it  as  the  duty  of  all  men. 

"In  April,  1826,  the  National  Philanthropist,  a 
weekly  paper,  devoted  to  the  cause  of  temperance,  was 
established  in  Boston  by  the  Rev.  William  Collier. 
Its  motto  was,  '  Temperate  drinking  is  the  downhill  road 
to  intemperance.'' 

"In  January,  1827,  the  present  Corresponding 
Secretary  visited  Boston,  and  commenced  an  effort  to 
obtain  means  for  the  support  of  a  permanent  agent. 
At  the  first  meeting,  although  the  evening  was  exceed 
ingly  stormy,  the  amount  subscribed  was  more  than 
$3,500.  At  the  second  meeting,  the  amount  sub 
scribed  was  more  than  $1,200  ;  and  at  the  third  meet 
ing,  more  than  $700.  In  Salem,  Newburyport,  An- 
dover,  and  Northampton,  were  obtained  upwards  of 
$2,000  more. 

"As  the  pastoral  duties  of  the  Secretary  did  not 
permit  of  his  continuing  his  agency,  the  Committee 
appointed  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Hewit,  of  Fairfield, 
Conn.,  who  was  known  to  have  preached  and  acted 
successfully  on  this  subject,  who  spent  twenty  weeks 
in  the  service  of  the  Society.  He  visited  various 
places  in  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut, 
New  York,  and  Pennsylvania ;  preached  on  the  sub 
ject,  addressed  public  bodies,  and  in  various  ways  pro 
moted  successfully  the  great  and  good  cause. 

"  In  September  of  the  same  year,  the  present  Sec 
retary  was  again  appointed  to  an  agency  of  three 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  321 

months,  and  visited  various  places  in  Maine,  New 
Hampshire,  Massachusetts,  and  Connecticut. 

"In  the  course  of  the  year,  were  published  Kit- 
tredge's  First  Address,  Dr.  Mussey's  Address  before 
the  Medical  Convention  of  New  Hampshire,  Mr.  Pal 
frey's  Sermons,  and  Dr.  Beecher's  Sermons  on  the 
Nature,  Signs,  Evils,  and  Remedy  of  Intemperance ; 
and  they  were  all  powerful  auxiliaries  to  the  cause." 

On  January  1, 1828,  when  Dr.  Edwards  was  called 
from  his  temperance  labors  to  the  church  in  Boston, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Hewit  resumed  his  agency ;  the  Rev. 
Joshua  Leavitt,  Mr.  Daniel  C.  Axtell  in  Western  New 
York,  Rev.  Dr.  John  Woodbridge,  and  many  others, 
rendered  important  services  in  the  enterprise,  and  at 
the  close  of  that  year  more  than  two  hundred  Tem 
perance  Societies  had  been  formed.  See  First  Per 
manent  Temperance  Document,  1831. 

The  following  "Hints"  indicate  the  spirit  with 
which  Dr.  Edwards  prosecuted  his  labors  in  the  cause 
of  temperance ;  and  those  who  knew  him  best,  best 
knew  how  consistently,  faithfully,  and  conscientiously 
he  put  them  in  practice. 

"HINTS  FOR  MYSELF,AND  FOR  EVERY  MAN  WHO  EN- 
G-AGES  IN  THE  PROMOTION  OF  TEMPERANCE. 

"  1.  Let  your  object  be,  the  glory  of  God  in  the 
salvation  of  men. 

"  2.  Feel  deeply  your  dependence  on  him ;  in  all 
your  ways  acknowledge  him,  and  let  every  step  of 
your  course  be  sanctified  by  the  word  of  God  and 
prayer. 


322  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

"  3.  Make  yourself  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
nature  of  intoxicating  liquors,  and  with  their  effects 
upon  the  body  and  the  mind  j  upon  the  property, 
health,  reputation,  reason,  life,  and  salvation  of  those 
who  use  them. 

"4.  Exhibit  these  effects  in  a  kind,  affectionate, 
lucid,  humble,  and  powerful  manner,  as  illustrated, 
not  by  philosophy,  but  by  facts ;  remembering  that  but 
few  understand  philosophy,  and  that  all  understand 
and  feel  facts. 

"  5.  Never  dispute  with  any  one ;  and  never  con 
verse,  on  this  subject,  with  a  man  who  is  intoxicated. 

"6.  When  a  man  does  not  believe  what  you  say, 
never  be  angry,  or  try  to  force  him  to  believe  •  but 
remember  that  once  you  did  not  believe :  treat  him 
kindly;  ask  questions,  relate  anecdotes,  and  state 
facts  to  meet  his  objections,  and  facts  too  which  no 
one  can  gainsay  or  resist. 

"7.  Never  try  to  force  people  forward  any  far 
ther  than,  from  the  light  which  you  have  thrown 
before  them,  they  choose  to  go. 

"8.  Try,  if  possible,  to  have  every  one  that  you 
address  give  you  something ;  and  if  they  do  it,  this 
will  tend  to  secure  the  influence  of  their  example. 

"  9.  Never  be  uncivil  or  impolite  towards  those 
who  will  give  you  nothing,  or  even  abuse  you.  Over 
come  evil  with  good. 

"  10.  Say  nothing  and  do  nothing  but  what  you 
are  willing  should  be  told  through  the  world. 

"11.  Use  no  intoxicating  liquors  yourself.  Ab 
stain  entirely  from  tobacco,  snuff,  and  all  needless 
things. 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  323 

"  12.  Be  temperate  in  the  use  of  tea,  coffee,  and 
every  kind  of  food  and  of  drink. 

"  13.  Say  nothing  concerning  any  one  behind  his 
back,  but  what  you  would  be  willing  to  say  to  his 
face;  and  what,  if  you  should  say  it,  would  tend  to 
illuminate  and  purify  his  mind. 

"  14.  Strive  to  leave  such  an  impression  every 
where,  that  all  will  wish  to  see  and  hear  and  assist 
you  again. 

"  15.  Be  yourself  a  pattern  of  temperance  in  all 
things  j  and  strive  ever  to  enforce  all  that  you  say  by 
the  irresistible  eloquence  of  your  own  example.  For 
this  end  be  timely,  regular,  and  temperate  as  to  diet, 
sleep,  exercise,  and  every  thing  to  which  you  are 
called. 

"16.  Never  exaggerate,  or  state  any  thing  more 
than  the  simple  truth. 

"  17.  Show  how  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquor 
mightily  obstructs  the  progress  of  the  gospel,  and  all 
the  means  of  grace ;  hinders  every  effort  for  the  im 
provement,  and  especially  for  the  salvation  of  men  j  and 
in  this  way  actually  ruins  for  eternity  many  souls. 

"18.  Never  be  discouraged;  and  never  self-confi 
dent.  Go  forward  in  duty  from  love  to  God  and  love 
to  men ;  humble  in  prosperity,  calm  in  adversity,  com 
mitting  yourself,  the  cause  in  which  you  are  engaged, 
and  all  your  interests,  mortal  and  immortal,  to  the  di 
vine  guidance  and  disposal ;  and  in  due  time  you  shall 
reap,  to  your  perfect  satisfaction,  if  you  faint  not." 

After  successfully  prosecuting  his  labors  in  the 
cause  of  temperance  for  a  few  months  in  New  Eng- 


324  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

land,  he  proceeded  to  New  York,  where,  January  2, 
1830,  he  wrote  to  relatives  in  Colchester,  who  had 
charge  of  two  of  his  children,  giving  a  cheering  view 
of  the  work  in  which  he  was  engaged. 

"  The  millennium,"  he  says,  "  will  never  come  so 
long  as  sober  men  continue  the  use  of  ardent  spirit,  nor 
will  the  gospel  and  the  means  of  grace  have  their  legit 
imate  effects  on  the  minds  of  men.  And  as  the  Lord 
is  pleased  to  make  me  instrumental  in  leading  many 
in  every  place  where  I  go  to  break  off  the  use  of  it,  I 
am  encouraged  to  proceed.  If  I  have  ever  been  instru 
mental  in  doing  any  good  in  the  world,  perhaps  I  was 
never  more  so  than  at  present. 

"Since  my  arrival  in  this  city,  I  have  had  a  bad 
attack  of  biliary  obstruction,  which  has  disabled  me 
from  making  much  effort  for  the  present.  Thus  when 
it  appeared  to  me  that  the  great  interests  of  the  world 
might  be  promoted  by  my  being  enabled  to  make  a 
great  effort,  the  Lord  sees  it  to  be  best  that  I  should 
be  able  to  make  next  to  none  at  all.  I  preached  once 
last  Sabbath,  and  expect,  if  the  Lord  will,  to  preach 
once  to-morrow.  But  unless  I  should  be  better,  it 
probably  will  not  be  safe  for  me  to  continue  long  in 
the  city.  Pray  for  me,  my  dear  brother  and  sister, 
that  I  may  be  enabled  to  know  and  do  the  whole  will 
of  God ;  and  that  the  language  of  my  feelings  and 
actions  may  ever  be,  'Not  my  will,  but  thine  be 
done.' 

"  I  desire  to  be  thankful,  that  while  I  am  called  to 
be  absent  from  my  dear  wife  and  six  dear  children, 
seven  as  strong  reasons  to  bind  me  to  my  home  as  a 
man  can  well  have,  the  Lord  has  graciously  provided 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  325 

so  kindly  that  two  of  them  can  be  in  your  family,  and 
one  of  them  with  our  dear  sister  M ." 

Two  weeks  later  he  writes  to  Mrs.  Edwards  from 
Washington  city,  stating  that  he  was  that  evening 
to  form  a  Temperance  Society  among  the  colored 
people,  and  adds,  "I  have  been  much  struck  lately 
with  President  Edwards'  47th  resolution : 

" '  Resolved,  to  endeavor  to  my  utmost  to  deny  what 
ever  is  not  most  agreeable  to  a  good  and  universally 
sweet  and  benevolent,  quiet,  peaceable,  contented  and 
easy,  compassionate  and  generous,  humble  and  meek, 
submissive  and  obliging,  diligent  and  industrious, 
charitable  and  even,  patient,  moderate,  forgiving,  and 
sincere  temper ;  and  to  do  at  all  times  what  such  a 
temper  would  lead  to ;  and  to  examine  strictly  at 
the  end  of  every  week  whether  I  have  so  done. 
Should  all  act  upon  this  plan,  what  a  delightful  world 
this  would  be/  " 

To  his  eldest  Son. 

"  NEW  YORK,  Jan.  18, 1830. 

"  MY  DEAR  SON — It  would  give  me  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure  to  be  at  home  with  your  dear  mother,  and  to 
see  all  my  six  dear  children  around  me.  I  should  like  to 
see  Justin  Asa,  and  Jonathan,  and  Newton,  and  Eliza 
beth,  and  Lydia,  and  Ann  Eliza,  all  sitting  around  the 
table,  or  around  the  fire  at  the  time  of  reading  the 
Bible  in  the  morning.  I  should  like  to  live  with  them 
all  the  time,  and  give  them  that  instruction  and  those 
counsels  which,  if  followed,  would  make  them  wise 
and  good — would  prepare  them  to  be  very  useful  in 
this  world,  and  happy  in  the  world  to  come. 

"  But  perhaps  you  ask,  Papa,  why  do  you  not  live 


326  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

at  home,  and  take  care  of  us?  It  is  because  there 
are  so  many  parents  who,  by  drinking  rum,  destroy 
their  reason,  and  thus  unfit  themselves  to  take  care 
of  their  children.  There  are  now  200,000  children, 
whose  parents  are  so  wicked  in  consequence  of  drink 
ing  rum,  that  they  will  not  provide  food,  or  clothing, 
or  schools  for  their  children ;  so  that  these  poor  chil 
dren,  whose  condition  is  as  bad  as  if  they  had  no  fa 
thers,  are  often  hungry  and  almost  naked,  and  grow 
up  in  ignorance  and  sin.  Now  I  am  absent  from  my 
dear  family,  and  go  to  Boston,  to  New  York,  and 
other  places,  to  teach  the  people  that  it  is  wicked  for 
men  to  make  distilled  liquors,  to  sell  them,  and  to  use 
them,  because  they  do  nothing  but  mischief.  And  if 
the  use  of  them  should  be  continued  for  thirty  years 
to  come,  as  it  has  been  for  thirty  years  past,  it  would 
cause  a  loss  to  the  people  who  should  use  these  liquors, 
of  more  than  $3,000,000,000  ;  and  would  kill  900,000 
people,  and  would  ruin  for  eternity  very  many  of  the 
souls  of  men. 

"And  while  I  am  absent  for  the  sake  of  doing  good 
to  other  children,  I  am  exceedingly  anxious  that  my 
own  children  should  not  suffer  for  want  of  a  father  to 
take  care  of  them.  And  I  hope  that  you,  my  dear 
son,  will  every  day  seek  to  your  Father  in  heaven,  that 
he  would  bless  you,  and  teach  you  to  love  and  serve 
him." 

Two  days  later,  he  wrote  from  New  York  to  Mrs. 
Edwards,  "  Since  I  last  wrote,  I  have  preached  every 
Sabbath,  and  attended  two  or  three  meetings  during 
the  week.  Several  associations  have  been  formed  in 
congregations,  and  the  cause  of  entire  abstinence  is  fast 


HIS  LABOES  FOE,  TEMPEEANCE.  327 

gaining  ground.  And  if  it  were  not  for  the  woful 
fact,  that  many  of  the  professors  of  religion  in  evan 
gelical  churches  in  this  city  are  still  making  and  sell 
ing  the  poison,  it  would  gain  much  faster.  If  the 
man  who  uses  so  much  as  to  kill  himself,  is  a  self-mur 
derer,  what,  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  must  be  the 
man  who,  for  the  sake  of  getting  money,  is  furnishing 
the  means  of  killing  hundreds  and  thousands,  when 
he  knows  the  use  which  they  will  make  of  it  ?  I  hope 
that  whoever  lives  a  few  years  will  see  the  time  when 
not  a  professor  of  religion  in  the  country  will  be 
found  in  this  destructive  traffic. 

"  I  cannot  but  hope  that  in  some  way  the  Lord  will 
provide  means  to  extend  and  perpetuate  this  work  of 
mercy,  till  there  is  not  a  drunkard  on  the  globe,  and 
not  a  sober  man  to  make  the  drunkard's  drink.  Mr. 

A.  T ,  at  the  monthly  concert,  put  in  $1,000  for 

foreign  missions ;  and  soon  after,  at  a  missionary  meet 
ing,  subscribed  $4,000,  about  three  times  as  much  as 
all  the  rest  of  the  people.  I  expect  that  he  will  give 
me  something  for  temperance." 

January  26,  he  writes  to  relatives  in  Boston, 
"  When  I  came  to  this  city,  I  did  not  intend  to  stop 
till  this  time ;  but  as  a  wide  and  effectual  door  seemed 
by  divine  Providence  to  be  opened  into  many  churches, 
into  which  no  temperance  agent  has  before  been  ad 
mitted,  I  thought  it  the  will  of  Providence  that  I 
should.  Promoting  temperance  here  is  promoting  it 
west  and  south,  through  the  whole  country. 

"I  hope  and  trust  that  the  Lord  has  some  one, 
whom  he  is  preparing  for  you/'  (as  pastor  of  the  Salem- 
street  church,)  "  and  whom  he  will,  in  his  time,  which 


328  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

is  always  the  best  time,  by  the  use  of  suitable  means 
on  your  part,  send  to  you.  He  loves  his  church  in 
finitely  better  than  we  can,  and  knows  infinitely  better 
how  to  promote  her  highest  good.  If  we  love  him, 
and  do  his  will,  we  may  safely  commit  ourselves,  our 
friends,  the  interests  of  Zion,  and  all  our  concerns, 
mortal  and  immortal,  to  his  infinitely  wise,  holy,  and 
benevolent  disposal." 

A  week  later  he  says,  "The  gentlemen  who  at 
tended  the  meeting  at  the  Medical  College,  on  Satur 
day  evening,  were  exceedingly  anxious  that  the  state 
ment  which  I  made  to  them  should  be  made  to  a 
larger  assembly,  both  of  gentlemen  and  ladies.  Sev 
eral  of  the  physicians  and  others  have  invited  a 
meeting  this  evening,  at  Masonic  Hall.  There  seems 
to  be  an  impression,  which  increases  daily  upon  the 
minds  of  reflecting  men,  that  the  object  is  a  momen 
tous  one,  which  will  deeply  affect  the  welfare  of  our 
country  to  all  future  generations. 

"  As  every  man  is  bound  to  pursue  such  business, 
and  such  only,  as  is  on  the  whole  useful  to  men,  it  is 
impossible  to  see  on  what  principles  any  man  can  pur 
sue,  consistently  with  duty,  the  business  of  making  or 
vending  distilled  liquor.  I  am  confident  that  if  sober 
men  saw  this  thing  as  they  will  soon  see  it-  in  the 
light  of  eternity,  they  would  not  be  guilty  of  con 
niving  at  it,  or  assisting  in  it,  for  all  the  wealth  of 
creation." 

February  20,  he  is  at  Boston,  and  says,  "The 
meeting  here,  Wednesday  evening,  was  full,  and  ap 
pears  to  have  had  a  good  influence.  The  subject  was, 
the  folly  and  wickedness  of  selling  distilled  liquors. 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  329 

The  legislature  were  nearly  all  present.  The  lieu 
tenant-governor  the  next  morning,  by  the  payment  of 
$30,  made  himself  an  honorary  life-member  of  the 
Society." 

To  a  friend  in  trying  circumstances,  he  wrote 
March  11,  "I  have  generally  found  that  it  is  best  to 
do  little  or  nothing  in  vindication  of  our  character; 
but  to  mind  our  own  business,  seek  in  all  things  to 
please  God,  and  trust  in  him  in  due  time  to  set  all 
things  right.  By  this,  I  do  not  mean  that  it  is  not 
best,  if  things  have  been  wrongly  stated,  when  Prov 
idence  gives  opportunity,  to  state  the  truth.  But  I 
would  not  press  for  an  opportunity  to  do  this  ;  would 
do  it  only  when  Providence  opens  the  way,  and  then 
do  it  simply,  and  rather  that  the  truth  may  be  known, 
and  others  be  saved  from  error,  than  to  vindicate 
ourselves.  If  we  please  the  Lord,  feel  kind  and  for 
giving,  and  strive  in  all  things  to  do  good,  never  ren 
dering  evil  for  evil,  but  contrariwise  blessing,  God 
will  take  care  of  us  and  ours,  and  direct  all  things  to 
the  right  result. 

"It  is  sometimes  necessary,  however,  to  let  pa 
tience  have  her  perfect  work,  in  order  to  be  perfect 
and  entire,  wanting  nothing  ;  and  '  if  any  man  offend 
not  in  word,  the  same  is  a  perfect  man.7  I  recollect 
one  who,  when  they  laid  many  grievous  things  to  his 
charge,  answered  nothing.  And  if  when  ye  do  well 
and  suffer  for  it,  ye  take  it  patiently,  happy  are  ye. 
The  spirit  of  grace  and  of  glory  resteth  upon  you. 
On  the  part  of  others  Jesus  may  be  dishonored,  but 
on  your  part  he  is  glorified.  And  if  we  suffer  with 
him,  and  for  his  sake,  we  shall  also  reign  with  him.77 


330  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

About  the  same  date  he  says,  "  I  have  ten  times  as 
many  applications  as  I  can  comply  with.  The  tem 
perance  .cause  is  gaining,  and  I  hope  that  God  designs 
to  work  a  change  which  shall  be  of  unspeakable  ben 
efit  to  all  future  generations  of  men." 

"FLEMINGTON,  N.  J.,  May  5,  1830. 

"My  DEARLY  BELOVED  WIFE — I  left  New  York 
on  Monday  morning,  and  arrived  here  yesterday.  In 
the  afternoon  I  addressed  the  people  in  the  meeting 
house,  and  in  the  evening  the  gentlemen  of  the  court 
and  others  in  the  court-house,  on  the  subject  of  temper 
ance.  Immediately  after,  the  Hon.  Samuel  L.  South 
ard,  late  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  now  Attorney- 
general  of  the  state  of  New  Jersey,  made  a  speech, 
and  a  county  society  was  formed  under  very  favorable 
circumstances.  Some,  I  learn  to-day,  came  for  the 
purpose  of  opposing ;  but  when  they  had  heard,  they 
concluded  to  hold  their  peace." 

He  proceeds  to  say,  "I  have  had  my  mind  too  much 
filled  with  men,  and  not  enough  with  God.  I  have 
not  spent  time  enough  in  communing  with  him,  and 
listening  to  his  voice,  &nd.  feasting,  as  with  marrow  and 
fatness,  upon  his  word  revealed  in  the  Bible.  I  often 
resolve,  and  I  hope,  sometimes  strive,  to  do  better; 
but  our  strength  is  weakness,  and  our  wisdom  folly, 
and  our  righteousness  rags.  Let  us  come  daily  and 
habitually,  and  freely  and  humbly  and  boldly,  to  the 
throne  of  grace,  that  we  may  obtain  mercy,  and  find 
grace  to  help  in  all  times  of  need,  according  to  all 
our  wants  •  and  I  verily  believe  that  we  shall  then 
receive  of  his  fulness  grace  for  grace. 

"  I  have  often  tried  to  decide  things  to-day,  which 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  331 

the  Lord,  should  I  live,  would  not  call  me  to  decide 
till  next  week  or  month ;  and  been  more  anxious  as 
to  what  will  be  the  condition  of  things  next  year, 
than  I  have  to  please  God  and  enjoy  his  presence,  and 
be  prepared  to  die  to-day,  or  to-morrow ;  and  so  I 
shall  do  again  and  again,  if  the  Lord  does  not  prevent. 
How  much  better  it  would  be  to  say  and  to  feel,  that 
'  if  the  Lord  will,  we  shall  live  and  do  this  or  that.7 77 

Of  the  Hon.  Mr.  Southard's  address  above  alluded 
to,  he  wrote  to  his  little  son,  "Mr.  Southard  said  that 
he  had  not  drank  any  ardent  spirits  for  more  than 
twenty  years ;  while  many  younger  than  he,  who  have 
used  it,  have  gone  down  to  the  drunkard's  grave.  He 
said,  I  have  two  sons,  and  if  they  might  each  of  them 
T.ave  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  provided  they 
would  begin  to  drink  rum,  and  if  they  did  not  they 
should  not  have  a  farthing,  I  should  rather  they  would 
not  have  a  farthing.  So  poisonous  are  ardent  spirits, 
that  they  kill  thousands  and  thousands  of  people  every 
year,  and  render  very  wicked  and  very  wretched  thou 
sands  of  others  that  use  them." 

About  the  same  time  he  says,  "I  hope  to  obtain 
means  to  employ  an  agent  over  the  whole  state  of 
Pennsylvania,  in  which  are  a  million  and  a  half  of 
people.'7 

On  the  4th  of  May,  1830,  he  was  appointed  Asso 
ciate  Secretary  of  the  American  Home  Missionary 
Society  at  New  York,  and  on  the  same  day  the  gen 
tlemen  in  that  city  who  had  previously  chosen  him  as 
pastor  of  the  new  church  they  were  about  to  organize, 
presented  a  renewed  call  from  the  congregation,  that 
he  would  become  their  pastor.  To  both  these  appoint- 


332  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

ments  he  felt  constrained  to  give  a  negative  reply, 
assigning  in  his  answer  to  the  new  congregation  "  two 
reasons :" 

"1.  From  the  testimony  of  physicians,  and  from 
past  experience,  I  am  led  to  conclude  that  a  longer 
continuance  in  my  present  employment  will  be  more 
conducive  to  a  speedy  and  complete  restoration  to 
health,  than  an  immediate  engagement  in  the  duties 
of  a  city  pastor. 

"2.  The  great  interests  of  our  country  and  the 
world  seem  to  me  to  require  that  a  more  permanent 
foundation  should  be  laid  for  a  united  and  ever-grow 
ing  effort  to  abolish,  as  an  article  of  luxury  or  living, 
the  traffic  in  distilled  liquors,  throughout  the  globe. 
And  as  Providence  has,  for  the  present,  committed  the 
instrumental  superintendence  of  this  concern  to  me, 
the  time  seems  not  yet  to  have  arrived  when  it  is 
proper  for  me  to  leave  it." 

To  Mrs.   Edwards,   announcing  the   death  of  her  father. 

"BOSTON,  August  1, 1830. 

"  MY  DEAB  WIFE — God  is  very  kind,  and  we  should 
make  it  our  simple  business,  in  mercies  and  in  trials, 
to  please  him.  Let  us,  at  all  times,  lean  upon  him. 
Let  us  be  satisfied  with  all  that  he  does,  remembering 
that  he  could  not  in  any  thing  do  better.  Hence  the 
reason  why  we  should  say,  'Not  my  will,  but  thine  be 
done ;'  and  ask,  with  regard  to  every  thing,  '  Lord, 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?'  and  make  it  our  sim 
ple  business  in  all  things  to  do  it,  trusting  in  him  for 
all  that  we  need,  and  striving  to  glorify  him  in  body 
and  in  spirit. 

"  I  intend  this  afternoon  to  write  to  your  mother, 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  333 

and  the  friends  at  Colchester.  I  found  on  my  return 
from  Reading,  that  Mary  had  received  a  letter  from 
Ann  Eliza,  mentioning  that  your  father  had  been  un 
well  for  three  weeks  ;  and  more  so  for  a  week  past — 
that  on  Wednesday  he  died,  and  was  buried  yester 
day.  He  had  a  dropsy  of  the  heart ;  was  sitting  on 
the  side  of  the  bed  in  the  middle  room,  and  talking 
with  George  while  the  family  were  taking  tea.  They 
observed  a  change,  and  in  a  minute  or  two  he  was 
dead.  He  had  spoken,  within  a  day  or  two,  a  few  times 
about  dying  suddenly,  but  had  said  little." 

From  Eastport,  Maine,  he  writes,  August  13,  "I 
preached  on  Sabbath  morning  and  evening  at  Calais, 
on  Monday  evening  at  Milltown,  on  Tuesday,  10 
o'clock,  A.  M.,  at  St.  Stephens  in  New  Brunswick,  on 
Tuesday  evening  at  St.  Andrews,  on  Wednesday  at 
Robbinstown,  on  Thursday  evening  at  Perry,  and  on 
Friday  returned  to  Eastport,  where  I  expect  to  preach 
on  the  Sabbath.  About  two  hundred  have  been  added 
to  the  temperance  societies  this  week,  and  things  ap 
pear  favorable.  Women  walk  five  or  six  miles  to 
attend  meeting,  and  bring  a  child  in  their  arms,  and 
return  home  at  10  o'clock  at  night  in  the  same  way." 

He  proceeded  to  St.  Johns,  in  the  province  of  New 
Brunswick,  where  he  wrote  to  Rev.  Mr.  Gale,  his 
brother-in-law,  at  Eastport,  Aug.  24:  "Through  the 
kindness  of  the  Lord  I  arrived  here,  after  a  pleasant 
passage,  on  Saturday  evening  at  half  past  10  o'clock. 
On  Sabbath  morning  I  called  on  Rev.  Dr.  Burns,  and 
preached  for  him  in  the  afternoon  on  the  worthiness 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Rev.  5  : 12.  On  Monday  morning  I 
called  on  Rev.  Dr.  Gray,  on  the  mayor,  and  on  Mr. 


334  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

McLeod.  They  all  received  me  kindly,  and  seemed 
to  be  gratified  at  my  arrival. 

"  The  mayor  said,  that  the  people  of  New  Bruns 
wick  '  beat  the  people  of  the  United  States  all  hollow ' 
as  to  drinking ;  that  the  people  of  the  United  States 
drank  only  about  five  gallons  a  year  to  each  individual ; 
whereas  the  people  of  New  Brunswick  used  more  than 
seven  to  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  province. 
He  said  they  had  about  50,000  inhabitants,  and  it  cost 
the  consumers,  upon  an  average,  about  one  dollar  per 
gallon,  which  would  make  $500,000  a  year,  paid  out 
for  that  which  does  no  good,  and  which  causes  a  loss 
in  idleness,  dissipation,  etc.,  of  more  than  $500,000 
more.  They  have  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  per 
sons  licensed  to  sell  ardent  spirits  in  St.  Johns. 

"  I  found  the  mayor  received  the  Journal  of  Hu 
manity,"  (a  temperance  paper  which  had  been  estab 
lished  at  Andover,)  "  and  is  prepared  to  favor  the  tem 
perance  cause.  Any  of  the  public  rooms,  he  said, 
should  be  at  my  service  at  any  time  when  I  chose. 
He  wished,  however,  that  they  might  have  till  next 
week  to  notify  the  people,  so  that  they  might  have  a 
large  assembly.  I  have  concluded  therefore,  with  the 
leave  of  Providence,  to  take  the  steam-boat  to-morrow 
for  Fredericton,  with  a  letter  from  the  mayor  of  this 
city  to  the  governor  and  others.  My  expectation  is 
to  return  here  on  Monday,  speak  on  Tuesday  evening, 
and  return  to  Eastport  on  Thursday  of  next  week." 

He  soon  entered  on  the  prosecution  of  the  tem 
perance  enterprise  in  the  middle  states  and  the  Dis 
trict  of  Columbia,  to  which  he  devoted  a  half  year  of 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  335 

uninterrupted  successful  toil,  making  brief  allusions 
to  his  proceedings,  and  their  results,  in  letters  to  his 
family  and  friends. 

To  his  brother-in-law,  Dea.  Daniel  Safford,  of  the 
Salem  church,  Boston,  he  wrote  from  New  York,  No 
vember  2,  "It  would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  be 
with  you  at  Salem  church  to-morrow,"  (at  the  installa 
tion  of  Rev.  Dr.  Blagden  as  pastor,)  "but  the  Lord 
seems  to  direct  another  way,  and  our  safety  and  inter 
est  and  usefulness,  you  know,  consist  in  following  him. 
My  dear  wife,  I  hope,  will  be  with  you,  and  that  you 
all  will  enjoy  much  of  the  presence  of  God." 

"  BALTIMORE,  Nov.  15, 1830. 

"MY  DEAR  WIFE — From  New  York  I  went  to 
Princeton,  spent  a  night  with  Rev.  Dr.  Miller,  and 
the  Sabbath  at  New  Brunswick.  On  Tuesday  night 
attended,  with  the  Hon.  Mr.  Frelinghuysen,  the  an 
nual  meeting  of  the  New  Jersey  State  Temperance  So 
ciety,  at  the  state-house  in  Trenton.  On  Wednesday 
went  to  Philadelphia,  and  on  Friday  came  to  this  city. 
Yesterday  I  preached  twice  on  the  subject  of  tem 
perance  ;  expect  to  preach  again  on  Thursday  evening, 
and  then,  if  the  Lord  will,  twice  on  the  coming  Sab 
bath.  On  the  Thursday  following  is  their  annual 
meeting,  and  I  shall  probably  stay  here  two  or  three 
weeks,  and  then  go  to  Washington." 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Miller,  President  of  the  New  Jersey 
State  Temperance  Society,  says,  in  a  letter  apologiz 
ing  for  unavoidable  absence  from  their  anniversary, 
and  encouraging  the  friends  of  temperance  : 

"There  is  one  thought  on  this  subject,  which  I 
will  take  the  liberty  of  expressing.  It  is,  that  I 


336  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

seriously  doubt  whether  our  female  friends  are  aware 
how  much  is  in  their  power  in  reference  to  the  cause 
of  temperance.  I  am  fully  persuaded,  that  if  they 
with  one  accord  should  all  unite  in  expressing,  on 
all  proper  occasions,  their  abhorrence  of  the  use  of 
ardent  spirits  in  any  form,  as  a  common  drink ;  and 
if  they  should  resolutely  frown  upon  all  whom  they 
may  see  using  ardent  spirits  on  any  occasion,  they 
would  do  more  to  banish  this  dreadful  destroyer  from 
our  land,  than  almost  any  other  human  means  that 
could  be  used.  Indeed,  I  cannot  doubt  that  if  our 
respected  countrywomen  were  unanimous  and  firm  in 
taking  this  course,  the  use  of  distilled  liquors  would 
be  speedily  banished  from  all  decent  society.  And 
when  I  consider  what  a  peculiar  interest  females  have 
in  preserving  their  nearest  and  dearest  relatives  from 
that  gulf  of  infamy  and  destruction  to  which  the  sin 
of  intemperance  is  daily  leading  thousands,  I  cannot 
help  feeling  equal  surprise  and  regret  that  they  do  not 
take  a  more  decisive  stand  against  all  use  of  ardent 
spirits ;  for  the  longer  I  reflect  and  inquire  on  this 
subject,  the  deeper  is  my  persuasion  that  it  is  only 
in  the  way  of  total  abstinence  that  the  path  of  safety 
lies ;  and  that  the  idea  of  indulging  in  the  '  guard 
ed7  and  'temperate7  use  of  this  deceiver  without 
danger,  is  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  fatal  of  all 
delusions." 

The  above  having  been  kindly  copied  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  James  W.  Alexander,  and  sent  to  Dr.  Edwards, 
to  the  care  of  the  lamented  Rev.  Dr.  Nevins,  Balti 
more,  Dr.  Alexander  adds,  that  the  directors  of  the 
Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal  Company  had  discon- 


V- 

:  UNITE 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  337 


tinued  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  among  the: 
and  gives  "  the  following  impressive  anecdote. 

"  When  the  contractors  were  closing  their  engage 
ments  with  the  company  last  week,  one  of  them  com 
plained  of  this  condition,  and  stated  this  as  his  expe 
rience  :  When  he  had  a  contract  upon  a  Pennsylvania 
canal,  he  gave  every  hand  eight  or  nine  drams  a  day, 
upon  this  condition,  that  he  should  work  to  the  utmost 
limit  of  his  strength.  '  And/  said  he,  or  to  this  effect, 
'  I  got  a  fourth  more  work  out  of  them ;  but  in  two 
years  they  were  absolutely  worn  out,  burnt  up  j  indeed 
a  man  would  last  just  about  as  long  as  his  tools.'  You 
may  depend  upon  this  statement  as  substantially  cor 
rect." 

From  Baltimore  he  writes  to  Mrs.  Edwards,  De 
cember  2,  "I  recollect  as  I  write,  that  December  2d 
was  the  day  that  I  was  ordained  at  Andover,  eighteen 
years  ago.  I  hope  that  in  the  next  eighteen  years, 
if  my  life  shall  be  spared,  I  may  be  disposed  and 
enabled  to  do  a  great  deal  more  good,  than  I  have  for 
the  eighteen  years  past. 

"  I  had  three  meetings  on  the  Sabbath,  and  have 
had  one  every  day  since,  and  am  to  have  two  more 
this  week.  On  Tuesday  I  went  to  Annapolis,  thirty 
miles  below  this,  on  the  Chesapeake  bay.  A  Temper 
ance  Society  was  formed  of  about  a  hundred,  and  one 
in  Baltimore  last  night.  Another  is  to  be  formed  here 
to-night,  and  another  to-morrow  night. 

I  have  visited  the  state-prison,  containing  about 
330  prisoners,  about  300  of  them  brought  there  by  in 
temperance;  and  {he  almshouse,  containing  1,138,  of 
whom  1,076  were  brought  there  by  intemperance." 

Ed-ward*.  15 


338  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

On  the  21st  lie  was  at  Washington  city,  where  he 
wrote  to  Mrs.  Edwards'  brother  in  New  York,  "  This 
morning  one  of  the  Senators,  and  also  one-  of  the  Rep 
resentatives  called  on  me  to  know  whether  I  would 
consent,  if  invited,  to  preach  in  the  eapitol,  and  make 
a  statement  on  the  subject  of  temperance  to  the  mem 
bers  of  Congress,  and  I  have  consented  to  do  so. 

"  Mr.  Lumpkin,  of  Georgia,  informs  me  that  in  his 
part  of  the  country  the  change  on  temperance  has 
been  so  great,  that  should  any  candidate  for  office  offer 
ardent  spirits  to  the  electors,  it  would  defeat  his  elec 
tion.  About  a  dozen  members  of  Congress  called 
the  first  evening  after  my  arrival,  and  all  seemed 
very  favorable  to  temperance.  At  a  late  party  of 
the  French  minister,  they  had  no  ardent  spirits ; 
and  they  have  none  at  quite  a  number  of  the  board 
ing-houses. 

"  It  is,  as  you  may  well  suppose,  a  great  self-denial 
for  me  to  be  absent  so  much  from  my  dear  family ;  but 
we  ought  to  be  willing  to  take  that  course  in  which 
we  can  do  most  good.  That  was  a  noble  resolution 
of  President  Edwards : 

" '  Resolved,  That  I  will  do  whatsoever  I  think  to 
be  most  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  my  own.  good,  profit, 
and  pleasure,  in  the  whok  of  my  duration,  without  any 
consideration  of  the  time,  whether  now,  or  never  so 
many  myriads  of  ages  hence ;  and  to  do  whatever  I 
think  to  be  my  duty,  and  most  for  the  good  and 
advantage  of  mankind  in  general,  whatever  difficulties 
I  meet  with,  how  many  soever  and  how  great  soever. 
And  resolved,  that  I  will  live  so  as  I  shall  wish  I  had 
done  when  I  come  to  die.' 


HIS  LABORS  FOE,  TEMPERANCE.  339 

"May  the  Lord  give  both  you  and  me,  my  dear 
brother,  grace  that  we  may  do  the  same." 

The  next  day  he  wrote  to  the  American  Tract 
Society  in  New  York,  recommending  as  a  tract  the 
able  address  on  temperance  delivered  at  Washington 
by  Dr.  Sewall,  an  eminent  citizen,  an  ornament  to  the 
medical  profession,  and  an  active  and  influential  mem 
ber  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  stated 
that  "  Diany  of  the  members  of  Congress  were  wishing 
to  obtain  copies  of  it,  to  circulate  among  their  constit 
uents  ;"  and  also  requested  a  grant  of  $20  worth  of 
temperance  tracts  for  his  own  distribution.  He  soon 
transmitted  the  tract,  prepared  for  the  press  by  him 
self  and  Dr.  Sewall,  and  it  constitutes  No.  249  of  the 
series. 

"  The  temperance  cause/7  he  adds,  "  is  shaping  well. 
I  yesterday  preached  in  the  capitol ;  and  though  it 
was  very  stormy,  I  was  told  by  a  man  who  has  been 
twenty  years  in  this  city,  that  he  never  saw  more  of 
the  members  out;  and  they  listened  with  attention. 
Many  of  them  take  a  deep  interest  in  the  subject.  I 
am  expecting  this  week  to  see  the  President  and  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  ;  and  then  to  visit  Annapolis,  at 
which  place  we  expect  to  form  a  State  Society." 

To   Mrs.   Edwards'   brother   in  New  York. 

"  PHILADELPHIA,  March  3,  1831. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER — I  arrived  here  to-day  from 
Wilmington,  Delaware,  where  they  yesterday  formed 
a  Delaware  Temperance  Society.  They  have  also 
formed  a  State  Society  in  Maryland,  and  about  twenty 
others  in  Baltimore,  Annapolis,  and  other  parts  of  the 
state.  Thirteen  also  have  been  formed  in  the  District 


340  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

of  Columbia,  embracing  in  all  more  than  three  thou 
sand  members. 

"  Jls  I  have  been  absent  nearly  six  months,  it  gives  me 
much  pleasure  to  set  my  face  again  towards  home.  I 
have  had  great  cause  to  be  thankful  that  I  have  trav 
elled  in  safety,  met  with  a  very  kind  reception,  and  I 
hope  been  instrumental  in  some  good.  The  people 
have  assembled  in  great  numbers,  and  listened  with 
deep  attention,  and  apparently  with  much  feeling ;  and 
I  cannot  but  hope  that  it  will  be  seen  at  some  future 
time,  that  much  good  has  been  done  through  the  grace 
and  mercy  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

"  I  understand  that  there  is  more  than  usual  atten 
tion  to  religion  in  your  city,  and  I  cannot  but  hope 
that  you  and  many  others  will  know  the  blessedness 
of  living  not  unto  yourselves,  but  unto  Him  who  died 
for  us  and  rose  again ;  that  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to 
die  is  gain. 

"  Truly  and  affectionately  yours, 

«J.  EDWARDS." 

At  this  time  Dr.  Edwards  received  a  cheering  let 
ter  from  the  venerable  Hon.  JOHN  COTTON  SMITH,  of 
Sharon,  Connecticut,  in  which  he  says, 

"  You  overrate  my  powers,  but  not  my  zeal  in  pro 
moting  the  cause  of  temperance.  I  feel  with  you,  in 
all  its  extent,  the  importance  of  enlisting  the  whole  of 
our  American  youth  in  this  sacred  enterprise.  They, 
and  they  only,  possess  the  means  of  finishing  the  work 
so  auspiciously  begun ;  and  we  cannot  be  too  diligent 
in  impressing  this  truth  upon  their  minds.  Let  them 
see  the  magnitude  of  the  evil,  and  their  efficiency  in 
removing  it.  Let  them  feel  that  the  welfare  of  their 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  341 

country  is  at  this  moment  suspended,  under  God,  upon 
their  efforts.  In  a  word,  '  show  them  the  enemy/  and 
unless  I  mistake  the  character  of  my  young  country 
men,  the  battle  is  won,  gloriously  won  for  them,  and 
for  the  world. 

"Of  the  present  generation  our  hopes  are  less  san 
guine.  More,  however,  much  more  has  been  accom 
plished  in  giving  a  new  direction  to  public  opinion, 
and  in  breaking  down  habits  heretofore  deemed  incor 
rigible,  than  we  could  have  imagined ;  and  we  are 
urged  by  irresistible  motives  to  persevering  exertion. 

"I  had  supposed  the  moderate  use  of  wine  allow 
able  ;  but  from  a  more  careful  scrutiny  of  the  word  of 
God,  I  am  convinced  that  inebriating  liquor  of  what 
ever  kind  is  clearly  prohibited,  excepting  for  medici 
nal  and  religious  purposes.  You  and  other  good  men, 
I  doubt  not,  have  entertained  the  same  sentiment  for 
a  much  longer  period.  Whether  it  is  expedient  to 
press  the  subject  thus  far  at  present,  deserves  mature 
consideration. 

"I  have  marked  your  progress,  my  dear  sir,  the 
past  year  with  no  common  interest.  Your  labors  and 
success  in  this  noble  cause  entitle  you,  in  my  judg 
ment,  to  the  lasting  gratitude  of  your  country  and  of 
mankind." 

From  Norwich,  Connecticut,  where  there  were  evi 
dent  manifestations  of  the  presence  of  the  Spirit,  he 
wrote  to  the  compiler,  April  29,  "  God  is  doing  won- 
'ders  in  our  land,  and  giving  us  all  the  utmost  encour 
agement  to  be  humble,  to  hold  on,  and  to  look  up; 
knowing  that  our  poor  endeavors  will  not  be  in  vain 
in  the  Lord.  I  hope  he  will  be  with  you  and  all 


342  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  1). 

friends  in  New  York,  at  that  joyful,  dangerous  time, 
the  anniversaries,  and  teach  you  all  to  please  him." 

On  the  18th  of  May,  1831,  the  American  Temper 
ance  Society  held  their  anniversary  in  Boston,  when 
Dr.  Edwards,  as  Corresponding  Secretary,  presented 
the  able  Fourth  Annual  Report,  which  constitutes  the 
first  of  the  well-known  and  widely  circulated  "  PER 
MANENT  TEMPERANCE  DOCUMENTS  "  from  his  pen,  which 
have  exerted  so  powerful  an  influence  on  our  country 
and  the  world.  He  says  in  this  document : 

"The  Corresponding  Secretary,  since  his  reap- 
pointment,  August  27,  1829,  has  continued  uninter 
ruptedly  his  labors  in  the  service  of  the  Society.  He 
has  visited  various  parts  of  the  British  province  of 
New  Brunswick,  and  the  states  of  Maine,  New  Hamp 
shire,  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New  York,  New 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  Maryland,  and  the 
District  of  Columbia.  He  has  travelled  more  than 
six  thousand  four  hundred  miles,  and  preached  and 
addressed  public  bodies  three  hundred  and  eighty-six 
times.  He  has  assisted  in  the  formation,  and  attended 
the  anniversaries,  of  numerous  Temperance  societies ; 
written  a  number  of  articles  for  publication ;  con 
ducted  the  correspondence,  and  superintended  the  gen 
eral  concerns  of  the  Society. 

"  On  the  first  of  May,  there  had  been  reported 
one  hundred  and  forty  societies  in  Maine,  ninety-six 
in  New  Hampshire,  one  hundred  and  thirty- two  in" 
Vermont,  two  hundred  and  nine  in  Massachusetts, 
twenty-one  in  Rhode  Island,  two  hundred  and  two  in 
Connecticut,  seven  hundred  and  twenty-seven  in  New 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  343 

York,  sixty-one  in  New  Jersey,  one  hundred  and 
twenty-four  in  Pennsylvania,  five  in  Delaware,  thirty- 
eight  in  Maryland,  ten  in  the  District  of  Columbia, 
one  hundred  and  thirteen  in  Virginia,  thirty-one  in 
North  Carolina,  sixteen  in  South  Carolina,  sixty  in 
Georgia,  one  in  Florida,  ten  in  Alabama,  nineteen  in 
Mississippi,  three  in  Louisiana,  fifteen  in  Tennessee, 
twenty-three  in  Kentucky,  one  hundred  and  four  in 
Ohio,  twenty-five  in  Indiana,  twelve  in  Illinois,  four 
in  Missouri,  and  thirteen  in  Michigan  territory  ;  mak 
ing,  in  all,  more  than  two  thousand  two  hundred,  and 
embracing  more  than  one  hundred  and  seventy  thou 
sand  members.  These  members  have  been  constantly 
increasing,  and  have,  in  many  cases,  been  more  than 
doubled  since  they  were  reported.  There  are  also 
numerous  societies  which  have  been  formed,  and  some 
of  them  embracing  large  districts  of  country,  not  con 
tained  in  the  above  list,  and  from  which  no  returns 
have  been  received.  The  number  belonging  to  soci 
eties  which  are  not  reported,  in  the  state  of  New 
York,  are  supposed,  by  the  Committee  of  the  State 
society,  to  amount  to  more  than  thirty  thousand.  In 
other  states  from  which  the  returns  have  been  less 
general  and  complete,  the  number  in  proportion  is 
still  greater.  In  Kentucky,  in  which  but  twenty-three 
have  been  reported  to  us,  containing  only  about  six 
teen  hundred  members,  a  correspondent  writes,  that 
they  have,  in  his  opinion,  nearly  one  hundred  societies, 
and  not  much  short  of  fifteen  thousand  members.  So 
it  may  be  in  other  states ;  and  from  the  best  informa 
tion  which  has  been  obtained,  the  Committee  conclude 
that  there  are  now  formed  in  the  United  States,  on 


344  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

the  plan  of  abstinence  from  the  use  of  ardent  spirit, 
more  than  three  thousand  temperance  societies,  containing 
more  than  three  hundred  thousand  members. 

"  From  the  influence  of  these  societies,  and  other 
causes,  three  hundred  thousand  more  may  have  adopted 
the  plan  of  not  using  it,  or  furnishing  it  for  the  use  of 
others.  Connected  with  these,  six  hundred  thousand 
children,  and  persons  in  their  employment  and  under 
their  control,  may  be  as  many  more.  And  thus  one 
million  two  hundred  thousand  may  already  have  been 
brought  under  the  influence,  and  may  now  be  expe 
riencing  the  benefit  of  the  Temperance  reformation. 
Among  these,  should  they  continue  to  refrain  from 
intoxicating  drink,  there  will  never  be  a  drunkard ; 
whereas,  nad  they  continued  in  habits  which  prevailed 
five  years  ago,  fifty  thousand  of  them  might  have  come 
to  the  drunkard's  grave. 

"  So  that,  should  this  reform  now  be  merely  sta 
tionary,  and  make  no  further  progress,  it  may  have 
saved  fifty  thousand  from  the  drunkard's  doom ;  and 
how  many  it  would  save  of  their  children,  and  chil 
dren's  children,  none  but  God  can  determine. 

"In  one  case,  as  our  Secretary  was  informed,  a  fa 
ther  adopted  the  plan  of  using  a  little  ardent  spirit 
every  day.  He  was  never  intoxicated,  and  never 
thought  to  be  in  the  least  intemperate.  He  only  took 
a  little,  a  very  little,  because  he  thought  that  it  did  him 
good.  For  the  same  reason  his  children  took  a  little 
daily ;  and  so  did  their  children.  And  now,  no  less 
than  forty  of  his  descendants  are  drunkards,  or  in  the 
drunkard's  grave. 

"  Another  man  adopted  a  different  plan :  he  would 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  345 

not  use  ardent  spirit ;  he  would  not  purchase  it,  nor 
would  he  suffer  it  to  enter  his  house.  He  taught  his 
children  to  treat  it  as  a  poison,  a  mortal  poison  •  and 
they  taught  their  children.  And  now,  there  is  not  a 
drunkard  among  them ;  nor  has  one  of  his  descendants 
ever  come  to  the  drunkard's  grave.  Long,  long  may 
it  be,  before  any  one  ever  shall.  And  when  the  long 
lines  of  descendants  of  these  two  men,  through  all 
future  ages,  shall  rise  up  before  them,  and  before  the 
universe,  in  the  blazing  light  of  eternity,  who  can 
estimate  the  difference  of  results  of  the  different 
courses  adopted  and  pursued  by  their  progenitors? 
None  but  He  who  seeth  the  end  from  the  beginning, 
and  to  whom  they  have  both  now  gone  to  render  their 
account." 

"From  a  town  in  Connecticut  a  gentleman  states, 
'  We  succeeded  in  forming  a  large  Temperance  society. 
Several  of  the  drunkards  ceased  to  use  spirituous 
liquors.  They  appeared  like  new  men,  and  0,  their 
families  appeared  to  be  in  a  new  world.  The  change 
was  wonderful.  But  they  have,  almost  all,  gone  back. 
And  we  cannot  help  it,  so  long  as  one  of  our  deacons 
wiU  sell  rum.  They  say,  '  If  it  is  not  wrong  for  the 
deacon  to  sell  it,  it  is  not  wrong  for  us  to  buy  it.  He 
thinks  that  a  little  does  good,  and  so  do  we.'  And 
thus  they  go  down  to  ruin.  And  0,  their  families, 
their  wretched  families — but  we  cannot  help  them,  so 
long  as  the  deacon  will  sell  rum.' 

"  No ;  if  deacons  and  church-  members  and  sober 
men  will  continue,  for  the  sake  of  money,  to  sell  rum 
and  make  drunkards,  and  thus  become  their  tempters 
and  destroyers,  good  men  and  the  friends  of  humanity 

15* 


346  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

cannot  help  it.  Nor  can  they,  but  to  a  small  extent, 
furnish  relief  to  their  wretched  families.  Though  they 
go  with  an  angel's  kindness,  and  with  an  angel's  free- 
ness  pour  it  out  upon  them,  the  deacon,  or  the  church- 
member,  or  some  other  retailer,  for  twenty-five  cents 
will  throw  that  whole  family,  for  days,  into  all  the 
agonies,  the  heart-rending,  heart-breaking  agonies,  of 
having  a  drunken  and  an  infuriated  maniac  for  a  hus 
band  and  a  father !  Yes,  for  twenty-five  cents,  he  will 
hear  the  scream  of  the  children,  and  see  them  run 
away  and  hide,  and  hear  the  groans  of  her  who  cannot 
get  away ;  and  though  she  conies,  when  the  storm  is 
over,  and  beseeches  him  with  tears,  not  to  sell  her  hus 
band  the  madman's  poison,  for  she  and  her  children — • 
and  her  tongue  falters  as  she  says,  children — cannot 
endure  it ;  yet,  for  twenty-five  cents,  he  will  sell  it  yet 
again  and  again,  till,  as  was  the  case  in  one  instance, 
the  husband  and  the  father  went  home  from  the  dea 
con's  store,  and  under  the  influence  of  what  the  deacon 
had  given  him,  murdered  his  wife!  She  will  never 
again  beseech  him,  for  her  children's  sake,  and  the 
Saviour's  sake,  not  to  sell  her  husband  rum.  No  ;  she 
will  not  complain,  nor  will  she  beseech  him  any  more. 
But  his  own  children  may  do  both.  One  of  them,  on 
hearing  of  this  murder  and  the  circumstances,  said, 
'Father,  do  you  not  think,  that  in  the  day  of  judg 
ment,  you  will  have  to  answer  for  that  murder  ?'  And 
must  not  conscience,  when  awakened,  echo,  l  Murder, 
murder  /'  "Why  ?  did  he  murder  that  woman  ?  No ; 
but  he  gave  her  husband  that  which  excited  him  to 
do  it ;  when  he  knew,  from  the  testimony  of  judges 
and  jurists,  that  it  caused  more  than  three-fourths  of 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  347 

all  the  murders  in  the  United  States.  And  why  did 
he  do  it?  For  money.  How  much?  A  sum  so  great 
that  a  man  could  not  withstand  it?  No  ;  for  less  than 
twenty-five  cents !  Yes,  for  less  than  twenty-five  cents 
those  children  were  made  orphans ;  and  their  father, 
when  our  agent  passed  through  that  part  of  the 
country.,  was  in  prison,  to  be  tried  for  his  life  for  mur 
dering  their  mother !  And  all  his  excuse  was,  he  was 
excited  to  do  it  by  what  he  received  from  the  deacon. 
No  wonder  his  child  should  beseech  him  to  give  up  the 
traffic,  and  warn  him  with  tears,  that  if  he  did  not  do 
it,  he  would  be,  at  the  day  of  judgment,  stained  with 
the  guilt  of  blood. 

"  It  is  an  established  principle  of  law,  for  the  viola 
tion  of  which  men  have  been  hanged,  that  the  acces 
sory  and  the  principal  in  the  commission  of  crime,  are 
both  guilty.  If  this  principle  is  correct,  and  applies 
to  divine  as  well  as  human  law,  and  the  drunkard 
cannot  enter  heaven,  what  will  be  the  condition  of 
him  who  is  accessory  to  the  making  of  drunkards ; 
who  furnishes  the  materials,  and  for  the  sake  of  gain, 
sends  them  out  to  all  who  will  purchase  them,  when 
he  knows  the  nature  and  effects  of  this  employment? 
Can  he  enter  heaven? 

"  The  Committee  do  not  ask  these  questions  con 
cerning  those  who  were  engaged  in  this  traffic  when 
its  nature  and  effects  were  not  known,  and  when  it 
was  supposed  to  be  consistent  with  the  Christian  re 
ligion  ;  but  only  concerning  those  who,  since  its  nature 
and  consequences  are  known,  and  known  to  be  ruin 
ous  to  the  temporal  and  eternal  interests  of  men,  still 
continue  it.  And  they  do  not  make  such  inquiries 


348  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

concerning  them,  but  with  the  kindest  feelings,  both 
towards  them  and  the  community. 

"  But  when  it  is  known  that  more  than  two  mur 
ders  in  a  week,  upon  an  average,  are  committed  in 
the  United  States,  through  the  influence  of  ardent 
spirit,  and  that  more  than  five  hundred  persons  in  a 
week  are  killed  by  the  use  of  it,  they  cannot  but  pre 
sent  this  subject,  kindly  and  plainly,  to  the  considera 
tion  of  all  sober  men. 

"It  is  now  known,  that  hundreds  of  thousands 
have  ceased  to  use  this  liquor,  and  that  their  health 
and  comfort,  and  those  of  their  families,  have  been 
greatly  improved;  that  the  amount  and  severity  of 
sickness  have  lessened,  and  the  number  of  paupers, 
crimes,  and  deaths  been  diminished.  It  is  known  that 
while  men  continue  to  use  this  liquor,  intemperance 
can  never  be  prevented,  and  its  evils  never  be  done 
away.  It  is  known  too  that  it  tends,  when  used  even 
moderately,  to  hinder  the  efficacy  of  the  gospel  and 
prevent  the  salvation  of  men,  and  thus  to  ruin  them, 
not  for  time  only,  but  for  eternity.  All  this  is  known, 
and  known  to  the  owners  of  ardent  spirit.  And  if 
they,  notwithstanding  this,  not  only  suffer  it  to  go 
abroad,  but  sell  it  to  all  who  will  buy ;  send  it  out, 
and  spread  it  through  the  community  ;  let  them  know, 
let  it  be  told,  and  let  it  echo  through  creation,  that 
they,  by  Jehovah,  will  be  held  responsible  at  his  tri 
bunal  for  its  effects.  To  the  pauperism,  crimes,  and 
wretchedness,  the  sickness,  insanity,  and  deaths,  which 
it  occasions,  and  to  the  ruin,  temporal  and  eternal, 
they  are  knowingly  and  voluntarily  accessory.  And 
of  all  the  obstructions  which  the  friends  of  temperance 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  349 

now  meet  with,  which  stand  in  the  way  and  hinder 
the  progress  of  that  mighty  movement  which  God  has 
awakened,  and  which  takes  hold  on  the  destinies  of 
unborn  millions  for  eternity,  these  men,  yes,  the  men 
who  traffic  in  ardent  spirit,  present  the  greatest. 

"  And  if  this  movement  is  ever  to  be  stayed,  and 
that  deluge  of  fire  again  roll,  unobstructed,  through  the 
length  and  breadth  of  this  land,  scorching  and  wither 
ing,  consuming  and  annihilating,  all  that  is  fair  and 
lovely  and  excellent,  and  glorious  in  possession  and 
in  prospect,  these  men,  the  men  who  continue  to  traffic 
in  ardent  spirit,  are  to  bear  a  vast  and  ever-growing 
portion  of  the  odium,  the  guilt,  and  the  retribution  of 
this  tremendous  ruin.  They  not  only  sin  themselves, 
but  they  tempt  others  to  sin.  They  stand  at  the  foun 
tain  of  death,  and  open  streams  which  may  roll  on 
wards  after  they  are  dead,  and  sweep  multitudes  to 
the  world  of  woe. 

"But  we  do  not  believe,  and  we  shall  not  admit, 
till  we  behold  it,  that  this  mighty  movement  which 
God  has  commenced,  and  hitherto  carried  forward 
with  a  rapidity  and  to  an  extent  altogether  unexam 
pled  in  the  history  of  man,  and  which  is  now  spoken 
of,  in  both  hemispheres,  as  one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
world,  is  ever  to  stop,  till  the  use  of  ardent  spirit,  and 
the  traffic  in  it  as  an  article  of  luxury  or  diet,  is  aban 
doned  by  every  good  man  in  our  country.  We  cannot 
believe  that  any  good  man,  or  any  man  that  expects 
to  render  an  account  for  the  influence  which  he  exerts 
on  the  world,  when  he  sees  what  he  is  doing,  will  con 
sent,  for  the  sake  of  money,  to  be  actively  instrumen 
tal  in  destroying  the  bodies  and  souls  of  men.  We 


350  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

cannot  believe  that,  for  the  sake  of  money,  good  men 
will  consent,  when  they  know  what  they  do,  to  deal 
out  the  cause  of  pauperism  and  crime,  sickness,  insan 
ity,  and  death — to  raise  a  barrier  against  the  influences 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  help  the  great  adversary  to 
people  the  world  of  woe.  Even  should  human  govern 
ments  continue  to  license  such  a  business,  we  cannot 
believe  that  good  men,  or  any  who  regard  the  welfare 
of  their  fellow-men,  will  continue  to  consent  to  take 
out  such  a  license,  or  to  use  it,  for  all  the  wealth  of 
the  world.  That  light  and  love  which  have  already 
led  more  than  one  million  to  give  up  the  use  of  ardent 
spirit,  and  more  than  three  thousand  who  were  en 
gaged  in  the  traffic,  to  renounce  it,  will,  we  trust,  if 
kindly,  universally,  and  perseveringly  diffused,  and 
attended,  as  they  have  been,  by  the  mighty  power  of 
Him  who  worketh  all  in  all,  lead  all  good  men  to  do 
the  same. 

"More  than  one  thousand  distilleries  have  already 
been  stopped;  and  the  owners  of  many  would  not 
again  open  them  for  the  wealth  of  creation.  In  one 
town,  in  which  were  sixteen  of  these  fountains  of 
death,  there  are  now  but  three  ;  and  those,  it  is  believ 
ed,  furnish  a  less  quantity  of  the  poison,  destroy  a  less 
number  of  lives,  and  ruin  fewer  souls,  than  they  did 
when  the  whole  were  in  operation.  One  brass-founder 
states  that  he  has  bought  thirty  stills,  and  sold  but 
one.  In  many  towns,  this  destroyer  is  not  even  sold. 
Among  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  people,  none, 
except  keepers  of  public-houses,  have  license  to  sell 
it ;  and  from  more  than  one  hundred  public-houses  it 
is  excluded.  The  owners  will  not  consent,  for  the 


HIS  LABORS  FOR   TEMPERANCE.  3ji 

sake  of  money,  to  poison  even  the  traveller  j  and  lie 
finds,  often  to  Ms  amazement,  that  he  can  be  received 
cheerfully,  treated  politely,  and  refreshed  abundantly, 
by  those  who  furnish  nothing  adapted  to  destroy  him. 
And  why,  should  these  and  similar  facts  be  made 
known  to  all,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  incline  them  to 
their  duty,  may  we  not  expect  this  to  be  the  casQ 
throughout  our  land,  and  throughout  the  world  ?" 

A  request  having  been  presented  to  him  that  he 
would  supply,  "for  a  few  Sabbaths  or  a  few  months," 
the  Presbyterian  'church  in  Morristown,  New  Jersey, 
in  reference  to  a  settlement,  he  replied,  July  8,  "Were 
it  consistent  with  duty,  it  would  give  me  great  pleasure 
to  be  with  my  family  more  than  I  can  in  my  present 
business  as  Secretary  of  the  American  Temperance 
Society ;  and  were  I  to  settle  again  in  the  ministry, 
no  part  of  the  country  would  be  more  pleasant  to  me, 
on  account  of  the  climate  as  favorable  to  my  health, 
and  on  account  of  its  being  a  region  which  the  Lord 
hath  blessed,  than  the  state  of  New  Jersey.  But  so 
far  as  I  can  judge,  the  great  interests  of  our  country 
and  the  world,  and  the  greatest  success  of  the  gospel 
in  the  salvation  of  men,  seem  to  require  that  I  should 
continue,  for  the  present,  my  connection  with  the  Tem 
perance  Society." 

To   his  family,  at  the   opening  of  the  new  year. 

"  BOSTON,  Jan.  2, 1832. 

"Mr  DEAR  WIFE — Rev.  Mr.  Mead  of  East  Hart 
ford,  Rev.  Mr.  Mitchell  of  Norwich,  Rev.  Mr.  San- 
ford  of  Philadelphia,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Jenkins  of  Port 
land,  all  ministers  in  the  midst  of  life,  have  died  with- 


352  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

in  a  few  weeks.  So  frail  is  human  life,  that  man  in 
his  best  estate  is  altogether  vanity.  'He  cometh  forth 
as  a  flower,  and  is  cut  down;'  but  the  word  of  the 
Lord  endureth  for  ever.  Blessed,  truly  and  for  ever 
and  supremely  blessed,  are  all  those  who  trust  in 
him,  and  who  delight  in  keeping  his  commandments. 
Though  they  die,  it  is  but  to  live  with  Christ  and 
angels  and  good  men,  free  from  pain,  from  sickness, 
from  sorrow  and  from  sin,  for  ever  and  ever.  They 
would  not  wish  to  come  back  to  this  world  if  they 
could  j  for  to  be  with  Christ  is  far  better. 

"All  the  feelings,  thoughts,  words,  and  actions  of 
the  last  year,  and  of  our  whole  past  lives,  are  now 
written  in  the  book  of  God's  remembrance,  and  closed 
up  for  the  judgment  of  the  great  day,  then  to  be  exhib 
ited  before  the  assembled  world.  Happy,  unspeak 
ably  happy,  are  all  those,  and  those  only,  who  have 
Jesus  Christ  for  their  friend.  Better,  infinitely  bet 
ter,  to  have  Christ,  than  to  have  all  the  world  besides. 
Let  us  this  year  resolve  to  live  wholly  for  him,  to  act 
as  in  his  presence,  and  seek  in  all  things  to  please 
him,  daily  and  heartily  to  commune  with  him,  listen 
to  his  voice  speaking  in  the  Bible,  give  him  our  hearts, 
do  good  as  we  have  opportunity,  and  keep  our  end 
continually  in  view ;  that  when  absent  from  the  body, 
we  may  be  present  with  the  Lord." 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  353 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

LABORS  IN  THE  TEMPERANCE  REFORMATION- 
CONTINUED. 

TWO   YEARS  — 1832,  1833. 

EARLY  in  1832,  Dr.  Edwards  wrote  a  powerful 
"  NATIONAL  CIRCULAR,  addressed  to  the  head  of  each 
family  in  the  United  States,"  which  was  issued  in  tens 
of  thousands  of  copies,  not  only  by  the  American  Tem 
perance  Society,  but  by  the  American  Tract  Society  at 
Boston  and  at  New  York.  Having  presentedTa  cheer 
ing  view  of  the  wonders  God  had  wrought  in  the 
Temperance  reformation,  and  many  motives  which 
should  induce  all  individually  to  adopt  the  pledge  of 
total  abstinence  from  ardent  spirit,  he  proceeds : 

"  It  destroys  the  soul.  It  makes  sinners  more  sinful, 
and  prevents  them  from  experiencing  God's  illumi 
nating  and  purifying  power.  It  tends  directly  and 
strongly  to  make  men  feel — as  Jesus  Christ  hates — rich 
spiritually,  increased  in  goods,  and  in  need  of  noth 
ing  ;  and  for  ever  to  prevent  them  from  feeling  as  men 
must  feel,  in  order  to  be  interested  in  the  blessings  of 
his  salvation.  The  Holy  Spirit  will  not  visit,  much 
less  dwell  with  him  who  is  under  the  polluting,  debas 
ing  effects  of  intoxicating  drink.  That  state  of  mind 
and  heart  which  this  occasions,  is  to  Him  a  loathing 
and  an  utter  abomination.  Not  only  does  it  darken 
the  understanding,  sear  the  conscience,  pollute  the 
affections,  and  debase  all  the  powers  of  the  soul,  but 


'354  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

it  counteracts  the  merciful  designs  of  Jehovah,  and  all 
the  overflowing  kindness  of  an  infinitely  compassion 
ate  Saviour  for  its  deliverance,  binds  the  soul  in  hope 
less  bondage  to  its  destroyers,  awakens  the  'worm 
which  dieth  not/  and  the  'fire  which  is  not  quenched/ 
and  drives  the  soul  away  in  despair,  weeping  and 
wailing,  to  be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  and  the  glory  of  his 
power. 

"And  yet  these  evils,  great  as  they  are,  rising  up 
to  heaven,  and  overwhelming  as,  if  continued,  they 
certainly  will  be,  may  nevertheless,  with  perfect  ease,  all 
be  done  away.  Let  each  individual  cease  to  use  intox 
icating  drinks,  and  intemperance  with  all  its  abomi 
nations  will  vanish  ;  and  temperance,  with  all  its  bless 
ings  to  body  and  soul,  will  universally  prevail.  Our 
three  million  children  may  come  forward  into  life 
without  the  habit  of  using  intoxicating  liquor,  with 
out  any  appetite  for  it,  or  any  expectation  of  benefit 
from  the  use  of  it.  And  such  a  generation  they  may 
be  as  this  world  never  saw ;  to  show,  by  their  bless 
ings,  the  glory  of  free  institutions,  and  the  brighter 
glories  of  the  gospel  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  to  spread 
a  light  which  shall  cause  ignorance  and  vice,  desola 
tion  and  wretchedness,  over  the  whole  earth,  for  ever 
to  flee  away.  We  therefore  cannot  but  confidently 
anticipate  that  you,  and  your  family,  will  cheerfully, 
for  the  sake  of  doing  good,  add  to  the  pledge  which 
is  annexed  the  influence  of  your  names. 

"  But  some  may  say,  '  Why  sign  a  pledge  ?  Why 
is  it  not  as  well,  and  even  better,  for  each  one  to  ab 
stain,  take  care  of  himself,  and  let  all  others  do  the 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  355 

same  ?  What  is  the  benefit  of  visible,  organized  union  ?' 
Do  you  remember  the  time  when  your  fathers  and 
mothers  could  not  drink  tea,  without  sanctioning  that 
odious  principle,  taxation  without  representation? 
And  what  did  the  men  of  J76  say?  Let  each  one  take 
care  of  himself?  Let  us  have  no  visible  agreement,  no 
pledge?  Hear  the  voice  of  the  delegates  of  Virginia, 
assembled  at  Williamsburg,  August  1,  1774: 

" '  Considering  the  article  of  tea  as  the  detestable 
instrument  which  laid  the  foundation  of  the  present 
sufferings  of  our  distressed  friends  in  Boston,  we  view 
it  with  horror;  and  therefore, 

"'Resolved,  That  we  will  not,  from  this  day,  import 
tea  of  any  kind  whatever,  nor  will  we  use  it,  nor  suffer  such 
as  may  now  be  on  hand  to  be  used  in  any  of  our  families.' 

"  They  invited  others  throughout  the  country  to 
join  them.  They  did  so ;  and  the  effects  were  felt 
across  the  Atlantic.  They  are  felt  throughout  our 
country,  and  they  will  be  felt  in  every  land,  to  the 
end  of  time.  What  was  the  benefit  of  that  combina 
tion,  that  visible  agreement,  that  universal  pledge? 
Strength,  action,  SUCCESS.  Suppose  each  man,  when 
the  armies  of  oppression  were  poured  in  upon  our 
country,  had  said,  I  will  abstain  from  helping  them; 
and  I  will  abstain  too  from  all  visible  agreement  with 
others  to  oppose  them.  I  will  make  no  pledge ;  and 
when  I  fight,  will  fight  single-handed,  and  do  my  own 
fighting  in  my  own  way.  Then  had  the  enemy  tri 
umphed,  and  we  never  had  been  free.  And  if  we 
could  not  conquer  Britons  without  visible  organized 
union,  can  we  conquer  that  before  which,  not  only 
Britons,  but  Americans  too,  have  fallen?  and  in  vastly 


'356  EEV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

greater  numbers  than  fell  for  their  country's  inde 
pendence  ? 

"  But  why,  it  is  asked,  should  women  belong  to  tem 
perance  societies?  Because,  under  the  light  of  the 
gospel,  which  raises  women  in  excellence  of  character 
and  ability  to  do  good  to  an  equality  with  men,  every 
association  composed  of  both  will  more  than  double 
its  influence  over  the  public  mind,  especially  over  the 
minds  of  youth  and  children.  And  the  grand  object  of 
efforts  for  the  promotion  of  temperance  is,  the  salva 
tion  of  the  children.  And  to  accomplish  it,  we  need, 
and  must  have,  the  influence  of  mothers  as  well  as 
fathers,  sisters  as  well  as  brothers. 

"There  is  another  reason  why  all  women  should 
unite  with  temperance  societies.  More  than  a  hun 
dred  thousand  of  the  lovely  daughters  of  the  last  gen 
eration  were  doomed  to  the  tremendous  curse  of  hav 
ing  drunken  husbands,  and  rearing  their  little  ones 
under  the  blasting,  withering  influence  of  drunken 
fathers.  But  there  is  no  need  of  it.  Let  the  fathers 
and  mothers,  the  brothers  and  sisters  of  this  genera 
tion,  all  cease  to  use  intoxicating  drinks,  and  unite 
their  influence  in  temperance  societies,  and  the  daugh 
ters  of  the  next  generation,  and  of  all  future  genera 
tions  practising  on  this  plan,  shall  be  for  ever  free. 

"And  there  is  another  reason  why  women  should 
belong  to  temperance  societies.  Multitudes  of  the 
last  generation  were  made  drunkards  by  the  customs 
of  society.  Though  the  appetite  for  ardent  spirit  is 
not  natural,  and  would  never  exist  were  it  not  formed 
by  the  use  of  it,  it  has  been  formed,  not  only  in  the 
cradle,  but  in  many  cases  has  been  coeval  almost  with 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  357 

life  itself.  Even  the  mother,  when  her  infant  was 
unwell  and  she  did  not  wish  during  the  night  to  be 
kept  awake  with  it,  drank  the  poison  herself,  and  the 
helpless  babe  slept  like  a  drunkard,  and  for  a  similar 
reason  ;  and  the  drunkard's  appetite  was  formed  there ; 
and,  as  if  that  were  not  enough,  as  it  lay  in  the  cradle, 
she  fed  it  with  a  teaspoon,  and  the  drunkard's  appe 
tite  was  strengthened;  and  no  sooner  could  it  walk 
than  the  father,  after  he  had  been  drinking,  gave  it 
the  bottom  of  the  glass,  sweetened  in  the  most  enchant 
ing  manner ;  and  the  drunkard's  appetite  was  con 
firmed.  And  before  the  heedless  youth  had  entered 
upon  manhood,  he  stumbled  into  the  drunkard's 
grave,  was  covered  up,  and  his  destroyers  were  glad 
to  forget  him.  But  there  is  no  need  of  it.  Let  the 
customs  of  society  be  changed,  and  each  individual 
unite  with  others,  to  touch  not,  taste  not,  and  handle 
not  the  abominable  thing,  and  the  evil  will  be  done 
away.  Generations  yet  unborn,  to  all  future  ages, 
saved,  by  simply  ceasing  to  do  evil  and  learning  to 
do  well,  will  rise  up  and  call  you  blessed. 

"PLEDG-E. 

"We  whose  names  are  hereunto  annexed,  believ 
ing  that  the  use  of  ardent  spirit,  as  a  drink,"  [changed 
in  a  reissue  of  this  circular  in  1835  to  read,  "  that  the 
use  of  intoxicating  liquor  as  a  beverage"]  " is  not  only 
needless,  but  hurtful  to  the  social,  civil,  and  religious 
interests  of  men;  that  it  tends  to  form  intemperate 
appetites  and  habits ;  and  that,  while  it  is  continued, 
the  evils  of  intemperance  can  never  be  done  away ;  do 
therefore  agree  that  we  will  not  use  it,  or  traffic  in  it ; 
that  we  will  not  provide  it  as  an  article  of  entertain* 


358  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

ment  or  for  persons  in  our  employment ;  and  that,  in 
all  suitable  ways,  we  will  discountenance  the  use  of 
it  in  the  community." 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1832,  another  Temperance 
anniversary  was  held  in  Boston,  and  Dr.  Edwards 
presented  the  Second  Permanent  Temperance  Docu 
ment,  showing,  by  an  array  of  facts  and  testimonies  of 
the  deepest  interest,  the  moral  wrong,  not  only  of  the 
use  of  ardent  spirit  as  a  drink,  but  of  the  TRAFFIC 
in  it. 

In  one  town  which  he  visited,  he  says,  "  There  was 
but  one  man  who  sold  ardent  spirit,  and  he  was  a 
member  of  the  church.  There  were  one-fourth  as 
many  drunkards  in  that  place  as  there  were  families ; 
and  he  supplied  them  all.  He  supplied,  also,  all  mod 
erate  drinkers  with  that  which  is  adapted  to  make 
them  drunkards,  to  ruin  their  children,  and  to  perpet 
uate  a  drunkard  to  every  four  families  to  all  future 
generations.  At  one  time  his  own  son,  in  the  house 
and  business  of  his  father,  was  dealing  out  this  poison, 
and  partaking  of  it  himself,  till  he  became  so  poisoned 
that  he  could  not  stand  ;  and  was  carried  home  to  his 
heart-broken  wife  and  children,  in  a  state  of  intoxica 
tion.  This,  you  say,  is  horrible,  horrible.  It  is,  in 
deed.  Yet  it  is  the  very  business  in  which  are  many 
church-members,  even  in  New  England.  Some  of  this 
character  have,  the  last  year,  been  admitted  to  the 
churches,  who  are  as  really  accessory  to  the  making 
of  drunkards,  as  was  this  man.  If  they  do  not  make 
drunkards  of  their  own  children,  they  do  of  the  chil 
dren  of  others.  And  the  committee  cannot  but  deep- 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  359 

ly  regret  that  Boston,  the  metropolis  of  the  pilgrims, 
exalted  by  blessings  to  heaven,  and  which  ought  to  be 
a  light  and  a  glory  to  all  lands,  should  have  churches 
in  which  there  are  members  who  make  it  a  business 
to  stand  at  these  poisonous  fountains,  and  pour  out 
streams  of  death  over  the  community;  thus  teaching 
by  their  business,  in  the  most  impressive  way,  that  for 
men  to  buy  and  use  ardent  spirit  is  right — a  doctrine 
that  has  probably,  during  the  past  century,  polluted 
more  hearts,  beggared  more  families,  destroyed  more 
lives,  and  ruined  more  souls,  than  any  other  heresy  or 
crime  whatever.  And  so  long  as  the  churches  shall 
connive  at  such  deadly  evils  in  their  members,  may 
they  expect  to  be  visited  with  the  withering  curse  of 
the  Almighty.  They  cannot  hold  the  protecting  ban 
ner  of  the  cross  over  such  enormities,  and  escape  the 
blasting  indignation  of  Him  who  bled  upon  it,  to 
redeem  unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  only  of 
good  works.  Not  only  are  they  ruining  men  by  thou 
sands  for  the  next  world,  but  most  unjustly  and  cruelly 
loading  the  community  with  tremendous  burdens  in 
this. 

"  As  certainly  as  the  nature  of  man  continues  the 
same,  and  light  on  this  subject  continues  to  increase, 
this  conviction  will  extend,  till  it  shall  become  uni 
versal.  It  fastens,  even  now,  upon  the  seared  con 
science  of  many  a  retailer  himself.  Said  one  who 
during  the  past  year  renounced  this  traffic,  laying  his 
hand  on  his  heart,  'You  can't  think  what  a  load  I 
have  got  off  here.'  He  had  been  the  whole  round  of 
excuses  for  continuing  the  business ;  had  persevered 
in  the  contest  between  covetousness  and  conscience, 


360  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS    D.  D. 

until  he  had  fought  every  inch  of  ground ;  but, '  I  have 
lain  awake/  said  he,  '  night  after  night,  and  night  after 
night,  thinking  of  it.'  Thinking  of  what?  That  he 
was  engaged  in  a  work  of  death  •  that  for  the  wretch 
edness,  temporal  and  eternal,  which  he  was  occasion 
ing,  he  must  answer  at  the  tribunal  of  'God — thinking 
that  it  would  profit  him  nothing  to  gain  the  world 
and  lose  his  soul,  or  be  instrumental  in  destroying 
the  souls  of  others.  Yes,  he  lay  awake  night  after 
night,  thinking  of  it.  It  is  the  determination  of  God 
that  men  shall  think  of  it.  His  providence  is  pressing 
it  upon  their  minds.  Light  has  penetrated  even  the 
thick  darkness  which  surrounds  the' distiller's  con 
science  and  the  wholesale  dealer's." 

Going  on  to  illustrate  the  enormity  of  the  sin,  by 
testimonies  from  judges  on  the  bench,  officers  of  the 
army  and  navy,  and  other  sources ;  and  then  looking 
at  the  conquests  already  won,  the  thousands  who  had 
refrained  from  drinking  and  were  rejoicing  in  hope 
of  the  glory  of  God;  and  thousands  who,  continuing 
to  drink,  had  rejected  "glory,  honor,  and  eternal  life," 
and  many  of  whom  were  weeping  and  wailing  beyond 
the  boundaries  of  hope,  he  says,  in  burning  words  : 

"  And  shall  we  be  told,  that  temperance  is  only  a 
secular  concern ;  that  it  affects  only  the  bodies  of  men, 
not  their  souls,  and  is  a  concern  which  relates  to  time 
only,  not  to  eternity  •  and  that  it  ought  not  to  be  dis 
cussed  from  the  pulpit  on  the  Sabbath  ?  Should  Satan 
cause  this  to  be  believed,  he  would  perpetuate  intem 
perance  to  the  end  of  the  world.  Shall  the  fires  which 
make  this  poison  burn  on  the  Sabbath,  and  the  use  of 
it  tend  to  counteract  all  the  merciful  designs  of  Jeho- 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  361 

vah  in  establishing  that  holy  day ;  shall  Jehovah  be 
insulted  by  the  appearance  in  the  sanctuary  of  men 
who  use  -it  on  the  Sabbath  ;  and  yet  th£  Sabbath  not 
be  occupied,  by  light  and  love,  to  abolish  the  use  of 
it  ?  Shall  it  cause  the  word  of  the  Lord,  even  from 
the  pulpit,  to  fall  as  upon  a  rock,  instead  of  being  as 
the  rain  and  the  snow  that  come  down  from  heaven 
and  water  the  earth ;  and  cause  thousands  who  might 
be  trees  of  righteousness  in  the  garden  of  the  Lord, 
to  stand  like  the  heath  in  the  desert,  not  seeing  good 
when  good  comes — and  yet  the  pulpit  be  dumb?  or 
speak  only  on  week-days,  when  those  who  traffic  in  it 
have  so  much  to  do  in  furnishing  the  poison,  that  they 
have  no  time,  and  less  inclination  to  hear?  If  Satan 
can  cause  this  to  be  believed,  and  those  who  manufac 
ture,  sell,  and  use  the  weapons  of  his  warfare,  and 
multiply  the  trophies  of  his  victory,  not  hear  of  their 
sin  on  the  Sabbath,  when  God  speaks  to  the  conscience ; 
or  be  entreated  from  the  pulpit,  his  mercy's  seat,  by 
the  tears  and  blood  of  a  Saviour,  to  flee  from  coming 
wrath — the  adversary  will  keep  possession  of  his 
strong-hold.  There  is  no  coping  with  him,  but  with 
weapons  of  heavenly  temper  from  the  armory  of  Jehovah, 
on  the  day  when  he  goes  forth,  and  creation,  at  his  com 
mand,  stands  still  to  witness  the  conflict.  Then  it  is,  as 
conscience  kindled  from  above  blazes  and  thunders 
in  the  heart  of  the  enemy,  that  he  is  consumed  by  the 
breath  of  the  Almighty,  and  destroyed  by  the  bright 
ness  of  his  coming. 

"  Never  was  an  idea  farther  from  the  truth,  than 
that  which  represents  the  Temperance  reformation  as 
only  a  secular  concern,  affecting  principally  the  body ; 

Edwards  \  (j 


362  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

or  confined  in  its  influence  to  this  world,  or  to  time. 
Its  principal  influence,  and  that  which  in  importance 
eclipses  and  swallows  up  every  other,  is  upon  the  soul, 
and  for  eternity.  And  let  ministers  and  churches  do 
their  duty,  free  themselves  from  all  participation  in, 
or  connivance  at  iniquity,  and  let  them,  by  light  and 
love,  poured  out  kindly  and  perpetually,  labor  to  per 
suade  all,  from  supreme  regard  to  God  and  good  will 
to  men,  to  do  the  same,  and  the  night  and  woe  of  ages 
will  pass  away,  and  the"  Sun  of  righteousness,  rising 
in  his  glory,  will  pour  round  the  globe  the  life  and 
the  bliss  of  universal  and  unceasing  day. 

"  And  when  Ethiopia  is  rising  and  stretching  out 
her  hands,  and  the  isles  of  the  sea  are  receiving  and 
obeying  God's  law ;  when  China  is  struggling  to  keep 
off  death  from  her  people,  Iceland  in  supplication  for 
deliverance  is  melting,  and  the  whole  creation  groan- 
eth  and  travaileth  in  pain ;  when  the  Saviour,  with  a 
voice  which  pervades  creation,  is  proclaiming,  Who  is 
on  the  Lord's  side?  Who?  and  the  universe  look 
with  intense  gaze  to  witness  the  result ;  and  when  a 
single  individual,  by  coming  out  openly  and  decidedly 
on  the  Lord's  side,  and  sacrificing,  in  a  single  instance, 
money  to  duty,  may  roll  a  wave  of  salvation  on  the 
other  side  of  the  globe — shall  professed  members  of 
that  church  which  Christ  has  bought  with  his  blood, 
take  part  with  the  enemy  of  all  good,  and  assist  in 
perpetuating  his  dark  and  dismal  reign  over  souls,  to 
endless  ages?  If  they  do,  God  will  write,  for  the 
universe  to  look  at,  To  whom  they  yield  themselves  ser 
vants  to  obey,  his  servants  they  are.  And  the  register, 
in. blazing  capitals,  will  be  eternal.  And  though  men 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  363 

who  continue  knowingly  and  habitually  to  do  evil, 
and  to  hate  the  light,  may,  in  this  world,  refuse  to 
come  to  it,  and  when  it  approaches  them  may  attempt 
to  flee  away ;  in  the  future  world  it  will  blaze  upon 
them  in  one  unclouded  vision  of  infinite  brightness, 
and  show  the  hearts  of  all  who  persevere  in  wicked 
ness  to  be  more  black  than  darkness  itself  for  ever." 

While  his  mind  and  heart  were  full  of  this  subject, 
Dr.  Edwards  wrote  the  able  document  on  "THE  IM 
MORALITY  OF  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  ARDENT  SPIRIT,"  which 
is  not  only  embodied  in  the  Permanent  Temperance 
Documents,  but  constitutes  Tract  No.  125  of  the  Amer 
ican  Tract  Society's  series,  and  is  a  standard  treatise, 
combining  convincing  argument  and  the  most  rousing 
and  tender  appeal. 

Having  constructed  the  body  of  the  document, 
showing  the  nature  of  ardent  spirit,  and  its  destruc 
tive  influence  for  the  life  that  now  is  and  that  which 
is  to  come,  and  noticed  the  more  common  and  plausi 
ble  excuses  for  engaging  in  the  traffic,  he  says, 

"Suppose  a  man,  when  about  to  commence  the 
traffic  in  ardent  spirit,  should  write  IN  GREAT  CAPITALS 
ON  HIS  SIGN-BOARD,  to  be  seen  and  read  of  all  men, 
what  he  will  do :  That  so  many  of  the  inhabitants 
of 'this  town  or  city,  he  will,  for  the  sake  of  getting 
their  money,  make  paupers,  and  send  them  to  the 
almshouse,  and  thus  oblige  the  whole  community  to 
support  them  and  their  families ;  that  so  many  others 
he  will  excite  to  the  commission  of  crimes,  and  thus 
increase  the  expenses  and  endanger  the  peace  and 
welfare  of  the  community  ;  that  so  many  he  will  send 


364  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

to  the  jail,  and  so  many  more  to  the  state  prison,  and 
so  man}7"  to  the  gallows ;  that  so  many  he  will  visit 
with  sore  and  distressing  diseases,  and,  in  so  many 
cases,  diseases  which  would  have  been  comparatively 
harmless,  he  will  by  his  poison  render  fatal ;  that  in  so 
many  cases  he  will  deprive  persons  of  reason,  and  in 
so  many  cases  will  cause  sudden  death ;  that  so  many 
wives  he  will  make  widows,  and  so  many  children  he 
will  make  orphans,  and  that  in  so  many  cases  he  will 
cause  the  children  to  grow  up  in  ignorance,  vice,  and 
crime,  and  after  being  nuisances  on  earth,  will  bring 
them  to  a  premature  grave ;  that  in  so  many  cases  he 
will  prevent  the  efficacy  of  the  gospel,  grieve  away 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  ruin  for  eternity  the  souls  of 
men.  And  suppose  he  could,  and  should  give  some 
faint  conception  of  what  it  is  to  lose  the  soul,  and  of 
the  overwhelming  guilt  and  coming  wretchedness  of 
him  who  is  knowingly  instrumental  in  producing  this 
ruin;  and  suppose  he  should  put  at  the  bottom  of 
the  sign  this  question :  What,  you  may  ask,  can  be 
my  object  in  acting  so  much  like  a  devil  incarnate, 
and  bringing  such  accumulated  wretchedness  upon  a 
comparatively  happy  people  ?  and  under  it  should  put 
the  true  answer,  MONEY  •  and  go  on  to  say,  I  have  a 
family  to  support ;  I  want  money,  and  must  have  it ; 
this  is  my  business,  I  was  brought  up  to  it ;  and  if  I 
should  not  follow  it,  I  must  change  my  business,  or  I 
could  not  support  my  family.  And  as  all  faces  begin 
to  gather  blackness  at  the  approaching  ruin,  and  all 
hearts  to  boil  with  indignation  at  its  author,  suppose 
he  should  add,  for  their  consolation,  '  If  I  do  not  bring 
this  destruction  upon  you,  somebody  else  will.'  What 


HIS  LABOR'S  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  365 

would  they  think  of  him?  what  would  all  the  world 
think  of  him?  what  ought  they  to  think  of  him?  And 
is  it  any  worse  for  a  man  to  tell  the  people  before 
hand,  honestly,  what  he  will  do,  if  they  buy  and  use 
his  poison,  than  it  is  to  go  on  and  do  it  ?  And  what 
if  they  are  not  aware  of  the  mischief  which  he  is  doing 
them,  and  he  can  accomplish  it  through  their  own 
perverted  and  voluntary  agency  ?  Is  it  not  equally 
abominable,  if  he  knows  it,  and  does  not  cease  from 
producing  it? 

"  And  if  there  are  churches  whose,  members  are 
doing  such  things,  and  those  churches  are  not  blessed 
with  the  presence  and  favor  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  they 
need  not  be  at  any  loss  for  the  reason.  And  if  they 
should  never  again,  while  they  continue  in  this  state, 
be  blessed  with  the  reviving  influence  of  God's  Spirit, 
they  need  not  be  at  any  loss  for  the  reason.  Their  own 
members  are  exerting  a  strong  and  fatal  influence 
against  it ;  and  that  too,  after  divine  Providence  has 
shown  them  what  they  are  doing.  And  in  many  such 
cases  there  is  awful  guilt,  with  regard  to  this  thing, 
resting  upon  the  whole  church.  Though  they  have 
known  for  years  what  these  men  were  doing,  have 
seen  the  misery,  heard  the  oaths,  witnessed  the  crimes, 
and  known  the  wretchedness  and  deaths  which  they 
have  occasioned,  and  perhaps  have  spoken  of  it  and 
deplored  it  to  one  another,  many  of  them  have  never 
spoken  on  this  subject  to  the  persons  themselves.  They 
have  seen  them  scattering  firebrands,  arrows,  and 
death,  temporal  and  eternal ;  and  yet  have  never  so 
much  as  warned  them  on  the  subject,  and  never  be 
sought  them  to  give  up  their  work  of  death.  Every 


366  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

brother  in  such  a  case  is  bound,  on  his  own  account, 
to  converse  with  him  who  is  thus  aiding  the  powers  of 
darkness,  and  opposing  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  try  to  persuade  him  to  cease  from  this  destructive 
business.  And  the  whole  church  is  bound  to  make 
efforts,  and  use  all  proper  means,  to  accomplish  this 
result.  And  before  half  the  individual  members  have 
done  their  duty  on  this  subject,  they  may  expect,  if 
the  offending  brother  has,  and  manifests  the  spirit  of 
Christ,  that  he  will  cease  to  be  an  offence  to  his  breth 
ren,  and  a  stumbling-block  to  the  world,  over  which 
such  multitudes  fall  to  the  pit  of  woe. 

"Professed  Christian,  you  have  been  redeemed, 
not  with  silver,  nor  with  gold,  but  with  the  precious 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  When  all  were  dead,  he  died 
that  they  who  live  should  not  live  unto  themselves, 
but  unto  him  that  died  for  them  and  rose  again.  In 
the  manufacture  or  sale  of  ardent  spirit  as  a  drink, 
you  da  not  and  you  cannot  honor  God ;  but  you  do, 
and  so  long  as  you  continue  it,  you  will  greatly  dis 
honor  him.  You  exert  an  influence  which  tends 
directly  and  strongly  to  ruin,  for  both  worlds,  your 
fellow-men.  Should  you  take  a  quantity  of  that  poi 
sonous  liquid  into  your  closet,  present  it  before  the 
Lord,  confess  to  him  its  nature  and  effects,  spread 
out  before  him  what  it  has  done  and  what  it  will  do, 
and  attempt  to  ask  him  to  bless  you  in  extending  its 
influence  ;  it  would,  unless  your  conscience  is  already 
seared  as  with  a  hot  iron,  appear  to  you  like  blas 
phemy.  You  could  no  more  do  it,  than  you  could 
take  the  instruments  of  gambling,  and  attempt  to  ask 
God  to  bless  you  in  extending  them  through  the  com- 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  367 

munity.  And  why  not,  if  it  is  a  lawful  business? 
"Why  not  ask  God  to  increase  it,  make  you  an  instru 
ment  in  extending  it  over  the  country,  and  perpetu 
ating  it  to  all  future  generations  ?  Even  the  worldly 
and  profane  man,  when  he  hears  about  professing 
Christians  offering  prayer  to  God,  that  he  would 
bless  them  in  the  manufacture  or  sale  of  ardent  spirit, 
involuntarily  shrinks  back,  and  says, '  That  is  too  bad.7 
He  can  see  that  it  is  an  abomination.  And  if  it  is 
too  bad  for  a  professed  Christian  to  pray  about  it,  is 
it  not  too  bad  for  him  to  practise  it  ?  If  you  continue, 
under  all  the  light  which  God  in  his  providence  has 
furnished  with  regard  to  its  hurtful  nature  and  de 
structive  effects,  to  furnish  ardent  spirit  as  a  drink 
for  your  fellow-men,  you  will  run  the  fearful  hazard 
of  losing  your  soul,  and  you  will  exert  an  influence 
which  powerfully  tends  to  destroy  the  souls  of  your 
fellow-men.  Every  time  you  furnish  it,  you  are  ren 
dering  it  less  likely  that  they  will  be  illuminated, 
sanctified,  and  saved,  and  more  likely  that  they  will 
continue  in  sin,  and  go  down  to  the  chambers  of  death. 
"  My  friend,  you  are  soon  to  die,  and  in  eternity 
to  witness  the  influence,  the  whole  influence  which 
you  exert  while  on  earth,  and  you  are  to  witness 
its  consequences,  in  joy  or  sorrow,  to  endless  being. 
Imagine  yourself  now,  where  you  will  soon  be,  on 
your  death-bed.  And  imagine  that  you  have  a  full  view 
of  the  property  which  you  have  caused  to  be  wasted, 
or  which  you  have  gained  without  furnishing  any 
valuable  equivalent;  of  the  health  which  you  have 
destroyed,  and  the  characters  which  you  have  demor 
alized  ;  of  the  wives  that  you  have  made  widows,  and 


368  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D.  . 

the  children  that  you  have  made  orphans  ;  of  all  the 
lives  that  you  have  shortened,  and  all  the  souls  that 
you  have  destroyed.  0,  imagine  that  these  are  the  only 
'rod  and  staff'  which  you  have  to  comfort  you,  as  you 
go  down  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  and  that 
they  will  all  meet  you  in  full  array  at  the  judgment, 
and  testify  against  you.  What  will  it  profit  you, 
though  you  have  gained  more  money  than  you  other 
wise  would,  when  you  have  left  it  all  far  behind  in 
that  world  which  is  destined  to  fire,  and  the  day  of 
perdition  of  ungodly  men  ?  What  will  it  profit  when 
you  are  enveloped  in  the  influence  which  you  have 
exerted,  and  are  experiencing  its  consequences  to  end 
less  ages,  finding  for  ever  that  as  a  man  soweth  so  must 
he  reap,  and  that  if  he  has  sowed  death  he  must  reap 
death  ?  Do  not  any  longer  assist  in  destroying  men, 
nor  expose  yourselves  and  your  children  to  be  de 
stroyed.  Do  good,  and  good  only,  to  all  as  you  have 
opportunity,  and  good  shall  come  unto  you." 


note  to  Mrs.  Edwards,  Feb.  14,  1832,  he  says, 
"  You  have  probably  heard  before  this,  that  Rev.  Dr. 
Cornelius  died,  at  Dr.  Hawes7  in  Hartford,  on  Sabbath 
morning,  of  -a  brain-fever  ;  brought  on,  probably,  by 
excessive  care,  toil,  and  labor.  His  wife  arrived  there 
in  the  afternoon,  and  is  a  deeply  afflicted  widow.  But 
the  God  of  the  widow,  and  the  Father  of  the  fatherless, 
will  no  doubt  provide  for  her,  and  hers." 

The  Rev.  President  Davis,  being  about  to  retire, 
in  advanced  years,  from  the  charge  of  Hamilton  Col 
lege,  New  York,  wrote  to  Dr.  Edwards,  March  2,  a 
full  and  earnest  letter,  spreading  before  him  the  his- 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  369 

tory  and  claims  of  that  institution,  and  its  promise  of 
future  usefulness,  and  asking  that  he  would  allow 
himself  to  be  a  candidate  for  election  to  that  office. 
To  this  application  he  felt  constrained  to  reply  : 

"  Yours  of  the  2d  inst.  has  been  made  the  subject 
of  as  much  attention  as  my  very  numerous  duties 
would  permit.  Considering  the  importance  of  my 
present  situation  to  the  great  interests  of  the  church 
and  the  world,  and  the  difficulty  of  my  leaving  it,  at 
present,  without  detriment  to  the  Temperance  cause ; 
considering  also,  that  my  present  employment  appears 
to  be  highly  favorable  to  the  enjoyment  of  sound  and 
vigorous  health,  and  that  you  may  probably  unite  in 
a  man  who  has  paid  more  attention,  of  late,  to  colle 
giate  studies  than  I  have,  and  might  be  more  useful 
than  I  could  be  at  the  head  of  your  college,  it  does  not 
appear  to  me,  at  present,  to  be  consistent  with  the 
will  of  Providence  that  I  should  consent  to  become  a 
candidate  for  that  very  interesting,  responsible,  and 
important  office." 

The  three  following  notes  indicate  some  of  the 
means  which  Dr.  Edwards  was  employing,  and  how  he 
was  cheered  on  in  his  work  by  some  of  the  worthiest 
of  men. 

"ALBANY,  March  19, 1832. 

"  DEAR  SIR — I  have  been  confined  to  my  chamber 
since  November  last  by  severe  illness,  which  has  in 
capacitated  me  to  attend  to  business.  You  will  please 
to  receive  this  as  my  apology  for  not  sooner  attend 
ing  to  your  communication.  I  will  with  pleasure  be 
a  contributor  of  one  hundred  dollars  for  a  few  years. 
We  are  making  extra  efforts  liere  in  our  State  Tem- 

1  6* 


370  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

perance  Society,  we  think  and  hope  successfully.    May 
the  Lord  smile  on  our  exertions,  is  the  prayer  of 
"  Yours  sincerely, 

"STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER." 
"  BKEMO,  Fluvanna  county,  Ya.,  Dec.  1832. 
"DEAR  SIR — Grateful  for  the  benefit  which  the 
Temperance  reformation  is  spreading  throughout  the 
Christian  world,  but  especially  for  the  happy  effects 
I  have  seen  resulting  from  it  in  my  own  neighborhood 
and  county,  I  feel  myself  called  upon  to  contribute 
some  pecuniary  aid  to  a  cause  which,  excepting  the 
propagation  of  the  blessed  gospel,  in  my  humble  opin 
ion,  stands  second  to  none  among  the  various  Chris 
tian  and  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  day. 

"  I  inclose  you  a  check  of  the  cashier  of  the  branch 
Bank  of  the  United  States  at  Richmond,  on  the  Boston 
branch  of  the  same  bank,  for  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars.  After  deducting  the  cost  of  one  hundred 
copies  of  the  fourth,  and  one  hundred  copies  of  the 
fifth  report,  to  be  forwarded  as  herein  after  directed, 
add  the  balance  to  the  funds  of  the  American  Tem 
perance  Society. 

"  Yours  respectfully, 

"JOHN  H.  COCKE." 

He  adds  a  list  of  about  fifty  distinguished  clergy 
men  and  laymen  at  the  south,  to  which  he  wishes  a 
copy  of  both  reports  to  be  addressed,  with  an  addi 
tional  supply  for  the  respected  bishops  of  the  Protes 
tant  Episcopal  church. 

"WASHINGTON,  Jan.  18, 1833. 

"  DEAR  SIR — I  have  just  received  your  favor  of  the 
15th  inst.,  and  thank  you  for  the  invitation  to  the  an- 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  371 

niversary  of  the  American  Temperance  Society  on  the 
7th  May  next.  It  will  afford  me  great  pleasure  to 
enjoy  the  privilege  of  taking  part  in  ii^  exercises.  A 
few  of  us,  in  Congress,' contemplate  the  formation  of  a 
Congressional  Temperance  society  on  the  26th  Feb. 
next.  I  hope  we  shall  be  enabled  to  carry  such  a 
plan  into  operation.  There  seems  to  be  an  influence 
resulting  from  sayings  and  doings  here,  that  is  peculiar, 
and  I  think  we  are  bound  to  cast  it  all  on  the  side  of 
good  principles.  I  trust  the  Lord  will  attend  and 
succeed  it  with  his  blessing. 

"  Yours  very  truly, 

"  THEO.  FRELINGHUYSEN." 

In  a  communication  to  the  committee  of  the  New 
York  City  Temperance  Society,  February  1,  1833,  he 
says,  "  I  have  attended  in  this  city  thirty-two  meet 
ings,  and  have  four  more  engaged.  The  ward  asso 
ciations  are  all  formed  and  in  a  course  of  successful 
operation.  Eleven  churches  are  free  from  all  mem 
bers'  connected  with  the  traffic,  and  in  seven  others 
there  is  only  one  in  each,  who  it  is  hoped  will  be  out 
of  the  business  soon.  The  members  of  the  various 
Temperance  societies  in  the  city,  I  think,  are  now  more 
than  seven  thousand.'7 

He  soon  proceeded  to  Washington  city,  with  a 
special  view  to  organizing  a  Congressional  Temper 
ance  society. 

"WASHINGTON  CITY,  Feb.  15, 1833. 

"My  DEAR  SONS  AND  DAUGHTERS — I  left  New 
York  on  Friday,  spent  the  Sabbath  in  Philadelphia  at 
Mr.  Henry  Bird's,  and  arrived  here  on  Wednesday. 
I  have  been  up  this  morning  to  the  Senate  chamber, 


372  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

where  are  Mr.  Webster,  Mr.  Clay,  Mr.  Calhoun, 
etc.  Mr.  Calhoun  has  to-day  been  speaking.  He 
expects  to  finigh  to-morrow,  and  then  Mr.  Webster 
will  speak. 

"There  is  now  in  Congress  one  man,  Mr.  Choate 
of  Salem,  who,  like  Justin,  was  a  little  boy  in  the  acad 
emy,  long  since  I  came  to  Andover.  And  if  Justin 
lives  he  will  soon  be  old  enough,  and  so  will  each  of 
his  brothers,  to  be  in  Congress ;  and  if  they  are  good, 
they  may  be  in  a  much  more  useful  and  honorable 
place,  namely,  the  pulpit,  or  in  some  log-hut,  or  under 
some  green  tree,  teaching  men  how  to  become,  not 
citizens,  or  even  rulers  of  an  earthly  kingdom,  but 
citizens  of  heaven,  and  even  kings  and  priests  unto 
God,  and  to  reign  with  him  for  ever  and  ever.  To  be 
good,  is  to  be  great  in  the  best  sense;  and  to  be  useful  from 
the  love  of  doing  good,  is  to  be  happy." 

The  next  day  he  writes,  "  The  prospect  now  is,  of 
having  a  great  Temperance  meeting  on  the  evening  of 
the  24th,  and  of  forming  a  Congressional  Temperance 
society  under  favorable  auspices  on  the  26th.  A  paper 
signed  by  ten  of  the  Senators  is  now  circulating  in  the 
House  for  the  signatures  of  those  who  are  disposed  to 
unite  in  it. 

"  The  chaplain  of  the  House  has  to-day  applied  to 
me,  in  consequence  of  the  application  of  members  to 
him,  to  supply  his  place  to-morrow  in  the  capitol, 
which,  with  the  divine  leave,  I  now  expect  to  do,  and 
to  reason  with  the  members,  'of  righteousness,  tem 
perance,  and  judgment  to  come.' " 

Three  days  later  he  says, "  I  preached  in  the  capitol 
on  the  Sabbath  on  the  subject  of  temperance,  and  for 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  373 


Rev.  Mr.  Post  in  the  afternoon.  Large 
and  many  members  of  Congress  in  both  places? 
teen  of  the  Senate  have  signed  a  paper  declaring  their 
readiness  to  join  a  Congressional  Temperance  society  on 
the  26th,  and  the  paper  is  now  circulating  for  signa 
tures  in  the  House.  Among  the  men  in  the  Senate 
are  Webster,  Wilkins,  Dallas,  Grundy,  Ewing,  Tip- 
ton,  Sprague,  Tomlinson,  etc.  The  prospect  so  far 
looks  well.  Col.  Richard  M.  Johnson  has  engaged 
this  morning  to  apply  for  the  capitol  in  order  to  have 
in  it  a  great  Temperance  meeting,  and  says  he  will 
carry  it  by  acclamation.  There  are  in  the  House  a 
number  who  are  no  friends  to  temperance ;  but  the 
cause  is  evidently  rising,  and  is  viewed  by  many  as  a 
cause  more  interesting  to  our  country,  and  more  im 
portant  in  its  prospective  influence,  than  any  which 
has  agitated  Congress. 

"  One  of  the  largest  mail  contractors  in  the  United 
States  has  concluded  to  have  no  man  drive  any  of  his 
stages  who  drinks  ardent  spirit.  Let  that  course  be 
taken  by  all  stages,  steam-boats,  and  railroads,  and  on 
all  public  works,  and  thousands  of  lives  will  be  saved, 
and  if  adopted  by  all  who  hear  the  gospel,  thousands 
of  souls  too." 

The  "American  Congressional  Temperance  Soci 
ety"  was  organized,  as  proposed,  on  the  26th,  under 
favorable  auspices ;  and  having  returned  to  Boston, 
he  writes,  March  15,  "On  Wednesday,  by  invitation 
from  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  I 
came  down  to  attend  a  meeting  of  the  members  of  the 
legislature  of  Massachusetts,  which  is  to  be  holden  in 
the  Representatives'  hall  this  evening,  for  the-  purpose 


374  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

of  forming  a  '  Massachusetts  Legislative  Temperance  So 
ciety  ;'"  which  was  also  successfully  organized. 

On  the  7 tli  of  May,  1833,  a  summary  view  of  Dr. 
Edwards'  labors  for  another  year  was  presented  to 
the  American  Temperance  Society,  whose  anniversary 
was  then  held  in  the  city  of  New  York.  The  great 
principles  and  facts  which  had  been  spread  before  the 
country  and  the  world  in  the  first  and  second  Per 
manent  Temperance  documents,  had  been  received 
with  favor,  and  were  producing  happy  results.  Of 
the  first,  issued  in  1831,  two  editions  of  10,000  and 
5,000  copies  were  printed  in  this  country,  and  two 
editions  in  England ;  in  an  abridged  form  10,000  were 
issued,  and  of  an  abstract  of  the  document  170,000 
more.  Of  the  second  Permanent  document,  14,000 
were  printed  in  this  country,  and  it  was  reprinted 
entire  in  England ;  and  of  the  "  Immorality  of  the 
Traffic,"  included  in  that  document,  40,000  were  cir 
culated  separately ;  making  of  both  documents,  or 
parts  of  them,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
copies.  Numerous  periodical  and  other  Temperance 
publications  were  issued  in  various  parts  of  the 
country ;  agents  were  employed  by  state  and  county 
societies,  and  the  work  was  rapidly  advancing. 

On  the  26th  of  February,  not  only  the  American 
Congressional  Temperance  Society  had  been  formed,  but 
simultaneous  meetings  had  been  held  extensively,  both 
in  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain.  The  Sec 
retary  of  "War  had  abolished  spirit  rations  in  the 
army,  substituting  therefor  sugar  and  coffee;  and 
temperance  had  been  introduced  into  several  ships  of 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  375 

the  navy.  The  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  numerous  other  ecclesiastical 
bodies,  had  also  taken  action  on  the  subject,  the  spirit 
of  which  is  indicated  in  the  language  of  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  who  said, 

"  It  is  now  a  well-established  fact,  that  the  common 
use  of  strong  drink,  however  moderate,  has  been  a  fatal, 
soul-destroying  barrier  against  the  influence  of  the  gos 
pel.  Consequently,  wherever  total  abstinence  is 
practised,  a  powerful  instrument  of  resisting  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  removed,  and  a  new  avenue  of  access  to  the 
hearts  of  men  opened  to  the  power  of  truth.  Thus  in 
numerous  instances,  and  in  various  places,  during  the 
past  year  the  Temperance  reformation  has  been  a 
harbinger,  preparing  the  way  of  the  Lord ;  and  the 
banishment  of  that  liquid  poison,  which  kills  both  soul 
and  body,  has  made  way  for  the  immediate  entrance 
of  the  Spirit  and  the  word,  the  glorious  train  of  the 
Redeemer.  But  a  great  work  is  still  to  be  effected  in 
the  church.  The  sons  of  Levi  must  be  purified.  The 
accursed  thing  must  be  removed  from  the  camp  of  the 
Lord.  While  professing  Christians  continue  to  exhibit 
the  baleful  example  of  tasting  the  drunkard's  poison,  or, 
by  a  sacrilegious  traffic,  to  make  it  their  employment  to 
degrade  and  destroy  their  fellow-men,  those  who  love 
the  Lord  must  not  keep  silence,  but  must  lift  up  their 
warning  voice,  and  use  all  lawful  efforts  to  remove 
this  withering  reproach  from  the  house  of  God." 

At  this  time  Dr.  Edwards  issued  the  able  docu 
ment,  "  LAWS  WHICH  ATTTHOEIZE  THE  TRAFFIC  IN  AR 
DENT  SPIRIT  AS  A  DRINK,  MORALLY  WRONG." 


376  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,   D.  D. 

"  The  American  Temperance  Society/'  he  says,  "  at 
the  commencement,  took  the  ground  that  to  drink 
ardent  spirit  is  morally  wrong ;  and  in  their  reports 
they  have  exhibited  the  reasons  which  demonstrate  its 
truth.  Millions  in  this  country  have  embraced  this 
truth,  and  are  now  acting  under  its  influence.  Its  in 
fluence  has  also  been  extended  to  other  countries,  and 
great  numbers  in  foreign  lands  are  imitating  our 
example. 

"  The  next  position  taken  by  the  society  was,  that 
it  is  wicked  to  make  ardent  spirit,  or  to  famish  it  to 
be  drunk  by  others.  This  too  they  'accompanied  by 
legitimate  and  abundant  proof;  and  it  has  been  em 
braced,  as  whole  counties  in  which  it  is  now  a  viola 
tion  even  of  human  law  to  sell  it,  and  a  thousand 
churches  in  which  there  is  not  a  man  who  prosecutes 
the  business,  and  thousands  of  other  churches  that  are 
struggling  to  throw  off  the  mighty  incubus,  abundantly 
testify.  It  is  shown  also  by  the  existence  of  more 
than  six  thousand  Temperance  societies,  embracing 
more  than  a  million  of  members,  pledged  to  abstain 
from  the  drinking  of  ardent  spirit,  and  from  the  traffic 
in  it,  and  also  to  use  all  suitable  means  to  cause  this 
to  become  universal.  The  means  by  which  such  a 
result  may  be  expected,  is  the  universal  conviction 
that  the  drinking  of  ardent  spirit,  or  the  furnishing  it 
to  be  drunk  by  others,  is  sin ;  an  offence  against  God, 
and  injurious  to  the  temporal  and  eternal  interests  of 
men.  Whatever  tends  to  produce  this  conviction, 
tends  to  promote  the  Temperance  reformation;  and 
whatever  tends  to  prevent  the  one,  tends  to  hinder  the 
other. 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  377 

"  Perhaps  nothing  jiow  stands  more  in  the  way  of 
producing  this  conviction,  .and  causing  it  to  become 
universal,  than  the  fact  that  the  traffic  in  ardent  spirit 
is  authorized  by  law;  and  thus  receives  the  sanction 
and  support  of  legislation.  This  is  a  public  testimony 
to  the  world  that  the  sale  of  ardent  spirit,  and  of 
course  the  drinking  of  it,  are  right :  a  fundamental 
and  fatal  error,  destructive  in  its  effects  to  the  life 
that  now  is,  and  to  that  which  is  to  come.  The  next 
thing  to  be  accomplished  therefore,  is  by  the  universal 
diffusion  of  information  and  the  exertion  of  kind  moral 
influence,  to  produce  throughout  the  community  the  con 
viction^  that  the  laws  which  authorize  the  traffic  in  ardent 
spirit  as  a  drink,  by  licensing  men  to  pursue  it,  are  morally 
wrong,  opposed  in  their  influence  to  the  laws  of  God  ; 
and  that  the  public  good,  instead  of  requiring  that 
some  men  should  sell  it,  utterly  forbids  that  this  should 
be  done  by  any  ;  and  that  no  men  or  body  of  men  who 
understand,  or  have  the  means  of  understanding  this 
subject,  can  be  instrumental  in  making  such  laws  with 
out  the  commission  of  sin.  And  as  such  laws  are 
morally  wrong,  they  never  can  be  politically  right,  or 
beneficial,  or  expedient.  While  Jehovah  lives,  right 
eousness,  and  that  alone,  will  exalt  a  nation ;  sin  in 
any  form,  and  especially  if  sanctioned  by  law,  will  be 
a  reproach  and  a  nuisance  to  any  people." 

He  proceeds  to  a  calm,  logical  discussion  of  the 
subject,  supported  by  acknowledged  principles  and 
facts,  and  adds, 

"  Over  wide  regions  of  country,  where  the  facts 
are  known,  and  a  part  of  the  people  abstain  from  the 
use  of  ardent  spirit,  and  from  the  traffic  in  it,  and  a 


378  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

part  do  not,  as  the  committe^  behold  ten  times  as 
many  in  proportion  to  the  number,  of  one  class  enlist 
ing  apparently  under  the  banners  of  Immanuel,  as  of 
the  other ;  and  see  the  number  from  one,  as  light  in 
creases,  constantly  and  rapidly  increasing,  and  from 
the  other  as  constantly  and  rapidly  diminishing,  they 
cannot  but  feel,  that  the  laws  which  sanction  the  traffic 
and  use,  and  proclaim  them  to  be  right,  are  radically 
and  morally  wrong,  offensive  to  the  Saviour,  and 
hostile  to  the  temporal  and  eternal  interests  of  men. 
And  they  cannot  but  most  respectfully  and  kindly,  ear- 
mstly  and  perseveringly  entreat  the  legislators  of  our 
country,  by  the  rich  mercies  which  he  has  so  bounti 
fully  bestowed  upon  it,  and  by  the  agonies  which  he 
so  freely  endured  for  our  race,  and  the  glories  which 
he  so  graciously  proffers  them,  no  longer  to  sanction 
these  iniquities,  or  say  by  legislation  that  they  are 
either  useful  or  right.  As  He  poured  out  life  to  re 
deem  them,  and  would  have  all  men  come  to  the  know 
ledge  and  love  of  his  truth,  and  be  his  obedient  and 
glorified  people,  they  would  beseech  legislators  no 
longer  to  do  what  tends  so  powerfully,  extensively, 
and  fatally  to  hinder  it." 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  379 


CHAPTER  IX. 

LABORS  IN  THE  TEMPERANCE  REFORMATION- 
CONTINUED. 

THREE    YEARS— 1833-1836 

ON  the  24th  of  May,  1833,  a  NATIONAL  TEMPER 
ANCE  CONVENTION,  called  by  the  American  Temper 
ance  Society,  was  held  at  the  Hall  of  Independence 
in  Philadelphia,  at  which  were  assembled  four  hundred 
delegates  from  Temperance  Societies  in  twenty-one  states, 
embracing  much  of  the  intelligence,  piety,  and  patri 
otism  of  the  nation.  The  Hon.  Reuben  H.  Walworth 
presided,  and  Dr.  Edwards  was  chairman  of  the  busi 
ness  committee.  It  should  be  recorded  with  grati 
tude  to  God,  that  this  large  Convention,  one  of  the 
most  influential  bodies  that  ever  assembled  for  such 
'an  object  in  our  country,  united  in  adopting  twenty- 
eight  resolutions  which  embodied  in  substance  all  the 
great  principles  and  aims  of  the  Temperance  move 
ment. 

The  resolution  "  that  the  traffic  in  ardent  spirit,  to 
be  used  as  a  drink,  is  morally  wrong,  and  ought  to  be 
universally  abandoned,"  received  the  most  calm  and 
solemn  deliberation.  "Many/7  says  Dr.  Edwards, 
"  were  anxious  to  know  what  the  physicians,  the  ju 
rists,  and  the  statesmen,  assembled  from  all  parts  of 
the  country,  thought  upon  this  subject.  As  the  dis 
cussion  proceeded,  and  the  manifest  and  enormous 
immorality  of  the  traffic  was  exhibited,  the  Conven 
tion  not  only  saw  that  it  is  an  immorality,  but  that  it 


380  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

was  a  duty  which  they  owed  to  God,  to  themselves, 
and  to  society,  to  express  their  deep  and  solemn  con 
viction  of  this  truth,  and  to  publish  it  as  extensively 
as  possible,  for  the  benefit  of  mankind.  And  seldom 
has  any  act  of  a  public  body,  designed  to  operate  by 
moral  influence,  been  hailed  with  greater  gladness,  or 
promised  to  do  greater  good.  Passed  as  it  was,  after 
long  and  full  discussion,  in  a  body  composed  of  men 
of  all  professions  and  employments,  and  of  all  Chris 
tian  denominations  and  political  parties,  and  from  all 
parts  of  the  country,  and  in  accordance  with  the  fun 
damental  truth  which  the  American  Temperance  Soci 
ety  and  various  other  bodies  of  men  had  been  propa 
gating  for  years,  its  influence  was  felt  throughout  the 
land.  Numbers  who  had  not  before  done  it,  were 
now  led  to  examine  the  subject  in  the  light  of  the 
moral  law ;  and  the  more  extensive  the  examination, 
the  more  deep  and  general  has  been  the  conviction, 
that  the  sentiment  expressed  by  the  Convention  is 
eternal  truth,  the  belief  of  which  is  of  infinite  impor 
tance,  and  that  it  ought  to  be  published,  with  its  evi 
dence,  and  proclaimed  throughout  the  world.77 

So.  deeply  impressed  was  the  Hon.  Stephen  Van 
Rensselaer  of  the  powerful  influence  which  these  pro 
ceedings  were  calculated  to  exert,  that  he  bore  the 
expense  .of  publishing  one  hundred  thousand  copies  of  the 
proceedings  of  the  Convention  for  gratuitous  distri 
bution. 

Other  large  and  influential  Temperance  conven 
tions  were  soon  held  in  different  states  of  the  Union, 
in  most  of  which  Dr.  Edwards  took  part,  and  all  of 
which  concurred  substantially  in  the  action  of  the  Na- 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  381 

tional  Convention.  At  the  Massachusetts  State  Conven 
tion,  held  at  Worcester,  more  than  five  hundred  dele 
gates,  embracing  distinguished  gentlemen  of  all  pro 
fessions,  were  present,  and  the  Governor  of  the  state 
presided.  A  similar  convention  for  the  state  of  New 
York  was  held  at  Utica,  and  for  the  state  of  Connecti 
cut  at  Middletown.  An  Ohio  State  Convention  was 
held  at  Columbus,  at  which  the  Governor  presided, 
and  a  Legislative  Temperance  Society  was  soon  after 
organized.  A  Mississippi  State  Convention  was  held 
at  Jackson,  which  recommended  not  only  to  abstain 
from  ardent  spirit,  but  from  wine.  A  Kentucky  State 
Convention  was  held  at  Frankfort,  and  a  Legislative 
Temperance  Society  formed  on  the  principle  of  absti 
nence  both  from  ardent  spirit  and  wine,  and  the  •Gov 
ernor  was  made  president.  A  convention  was  held 
and  a  State  Temperance  Society  formed  in  Missouri. 
A  State  Society  was  formed  in  Alabama.  A  Pennsyl 
vania  State  Temperance  Convention  was  held  at  Har- 
risburg,  and  a  Legislative  Temperance  Society  formed. 
A  Delaware  State  Convention  was  held  at  Dover.  A 
State  Convention  was  held  in  New  Jersey;  another 
in  Vermont;  another  in  Maine;  and  a  convention  of 
cities  was  held  in  New  York. 

"  Thus,"  says  Dr.  Edwards,  "  has  the  sentiment  that 
the  traffic  in  ardent  spirit  is  an  immorality  and  ought 
to  be  universally  abandoned,  been  expressed  by  bodies 
embracing  more  than  five  thousand  ministers  of  the 
gospel,  and  six  thousand  Christian  churches ;  by  the 
American  Congressional  Temperance  meeting,  by  the 
United  States  Temperance  Convention,  by  ten  State 
Temperance  conventions,  and  numerous  other  bodies 


382  AEV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

and  classes  of  men,  in  various  ways  and  places  through 
out  the  land. 

"The  truth  that  the  traffic  is  wicked,  strikes  the 
evil  at  the  root,  and  with  a  blow  so  strong  and  deep 
that  it  will  inevitably  destroy  it.  If  the  traffic  is  not 
a  violation  of  the  law  of  God,  and  by  him  forbidden, 
if  the  friends  of  temperance  do  not  believe  this  truth 
and  publish  it  with  its  evidence  to  all  people,  vain  are 
all  expectations  that  it  will  ever  be  exterminated. 
There  is  no  force  but  that  which  from  the  throne  of  God 
fastens  on  the  conscience,  and  binds  man  according  to  his 
deeds  irrevocably  to  an  eternal  retribution,  that  is  strong 
enough  to  say  to  -this  ocean  of  death,  Hitherto  shalt 
thou  come,  but  no  farther ;  and  here  let  thy  violence 
be  stayed.  And  while  this  sentiment  ought  to  be 
expressed,  as  it  ought  ever  to  be  held,  with  great  kind 
ness,  so  it  ought  to  be  expressed,  with  great  plainness ; 
and  in  such  a  manner  as  is  best  adapted  to  produce 
universally  the  deepest  conviction,  and  the  most  active 
and  persevering  efforts." 

Of  the  injustice  of  gaining  money  by  the  traffic,  he 
says,  "  The  article  which  is  put  into  the  miserable  vic 
tim's  hand  to  induce  him  to  give  up  his  money,  is  not 
merely  worthless — it  is  destructive.  Its  direct,  well- 
known,  universal,  and  inevitable  tendency  is  to  kill — 
to  kill  soul  and  body.  What  the  retailer  wants  is  his 
customer's  three  cents !  He  does  not  wish  to  kill  him. 
He  only  gives  him  what  kills  him,  because  that  is  the 
only  way  to  get  his  three  cents.  He  does  not  wish  to 
destroy  the  man  for  the  very  sake  of  destroying  him. 
He  does  not  desire,  on  its  own  account,  to  ruin  his 
character,  and  take  away  his  property,  and  break  his 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  383 

wife's  heart,  and  beggar  and  starve  his  children.  No, 
his  object  is  only  to  get  the  man's  money,  and  he  does 
these  things,  because  that  seems  to  him  the  shortest 
way  to  secure  his  three  cents.  All  the  money  he 
makes,  is  worse  than  taken  dishonestly.  It  is  the  price 
of  blood  !  Every  dollar  he  receives,  instead  of  being 
a  certificate  of  the  amount  of  good  he  has  done,  is  a 
certificate  of  the  misery  and  ruin  he  has  spread  around 
him.  His  coin  should  be  inscribed,  'This  certifies 
that  the  bearer  has  made  a  man  beat  his  wife.'  '  This 
half  dollar  is  a  memorial  of  four  nights  of  wretched 
ness,  which  were  given  to  a  whole  family  in  exchange 
for  it.'  '  This  bag  of  money  certifies  that  the  possessor 
has  sent  two  of  his  neighbors  to  the  jail,  and  their 
wives  and  children  to  the  poor-house.'  What  money 
for  a  man  to  hold  in  his  coffers  1  IT  is  THE  PRICE  OF 
BLOOD  1" 

In  the  autumn  of  1833,  Dr.  Edwards  proceeded  to 
a  laborious  and  successful  tour  of  several  months  in  the 
western  states,  of  which  he  writes  to  his  family  and 
friends  many  instructive  facts  and  pleasing  incidents, 
that  we  should  gladly  give  more  fully  than  our  limits 
allow. 

"CINCINNATI,  Oct.  23, 1833. 

"  MY  DEAR  WIFE — I  left  Albany  on  Monday,  the 
7th ;  arrived  at  Buffalo  on  Friday  morning ;  visited 
Niagara  Falls,  and  spent  the  Sabbath  at  Buffalo ;  in 
the  evening  had  a  large  and  interesting  temperance 
meeting ;  on  Monday  took  the  steam-boat  on  Lake 
Erie  for  Cleveland,  and  arrived  on  Tuesday  night. 
Wednesday  took  the  stage,  and  went  one  hundred 
and  eighty-three  miles  to  Springfield,  Ohio,  where  I 


384  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

arrived  on  Saturday  evening  and  spent  the  Sabbath ; 
then  took  the  stage  and  arrived  here,  seventy-two 
miles,  on  Monday  night,  through  the  great  kindness 
of  the  Lord,  in  good  health. 

"  Cincinnati  is  a  beautiful  city,  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Ohio,  which  here  runs  to  the  west ;  and  as  the 
mountains  were  round  about  Jerusalem,  so  they  are 
round  about  Cincinnati.  How  long  I  shall  remain 
here  is  uncertain ;  perhaps  a  month  or  two,  if  circum 
stances  favor  it." 

Again  he  says,  November  2,  "We  have  just  fin 
ished  the  week  of  anniversaries,  which  has  been  a 
very  delightful  one,  and  so  far  as  I  can  judge,  pro 
duced  a  fine  impression.  Things  here  appear  in  a 
promising  state.  I  now  expect  to  preach  here  to 
morrow  j  and  on  Monday,  if  the  Lord  will,  go  with 
Dr.  Beecher  and  Dr.  Cogswell,  to  Lexington,  Ken 
tucky,  eighty-four  miles,  where  next  week  is  to  be 
another  series  of  meetings,  and  the  commencement  of 
Transylvania  University." 

At  Louisville,  he  writes,  November  20,  "From 
Lexington  I  went,  on  Tuesday  of  last  week,  to  Frank 
fort,  the  capital  of  Kentucky,  and  on  "Wednesday  had 
a  Temperance  meeting.  On  Thursday  came  to  this 
place.  Had  a  meeting  last  evening,  and  expect  anoth 
er  this  evening.  On  Monday  or  Tuesday  of  next 
week  expect  to  leave  this,  if  the  Lord  will,  for  St. 
Louis,  by  water,  about  eight  hundred  miles ;  then 
perhaps  visit  Jacksonville,  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles,  and  then  return  to  Cincinnati. 

"  I  find  enough  to  do  to  bring  these  ten  states  in  the 
valky  of  the  Mississippi  to  be  temperate,  each  one  of  which 


HIS  LABORS  FOR   TEMPERANCE.  385 

is  six  times  as  large  as  Massachusetts,  and  all  equal 
to  sixty  such  states." 

In  the  introductory  paragraph  to  the  Fourth  Per 
manent  Temperance  Document,  presented  May,  1834, 
at  the  anniversary  of  the  American  Temperance  Soci 
ety,  held  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  Dr.  Edwards 
notices  as  "auspicious  peculiarities  of  the  present 
age,"  that  increasing  numbers  of  people  are  disposed 
to  inquire  with  regard  to  every  moral  principle  and 
practice,  Is  it  right  ?  That  the  standard  of  right  and 
wrong,  with  increasing  numbers,  is  the  Bible.  That 
the  number  is  rapidly  increasing,  who,  when  they  learn 
that  the  Bible  condemns. a  practice,  will  renounce  it ; 
and  who,  when  they  learn  that  it  requires  action,  will 
attempt,  with  the  spirit  which  the  Bible  inculcates,  to 
perform  it,  whether  other  men  do  this  or  not.  That 
there  is  a  deeper  conviction  of  individual,  personal  re 
sponsibility  directly  to  God,  binding  each  one,  in  all  situ 
ations,  for  the  character  and  tendency  of  his  actions, 
to  the  retributions  of  eternity.  That  it  is  becoming 
more  and  more  common,  if  a  man  wishes  to  have  good 
done,  to  engage  in  it  himself,  and  to  do  it  now  j  and 
to  aim  at  the  root  of  evils,  instead  of  merely  attempt 
ing  to  lop  off  the  branches. 

"A  striking  development  of  these  principles  has 
been  made  in  the  Temperance  reformation.  A  vicious 
practice  had  obtained,  had  received  the  sanction  of 
legislation,  and  the  support  of  the  example  of  nearly 
the  whole  Christian  world.  But  it  was  followed,  as 
its  natural  and  necessary  result,  by  loss  of  property, 
character,  life,  and  the  soul,  to  an  extent  which  must 

Edwards.  1  7 


386  REV.    JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

fill  every  person  who  comprehends  it,  with  amaze 
ment.  And  the  question  was  started,  no  doubt  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  '  Is  it  right 7  to  continue  a  practice 
which  produces  such  results  ;  and  which,  if  continued, 
will  perpetuate  and  increase  them  to  all  future  ages  ? 
The  Bible  was  examined,  and  providences  observed ; 
divine  teaching  was  sought,  and  the  conviction  was 
fastened  on  the  mind,  that  the  practice  was  not  right  j 
and  that  to  prevent  the  evils  which  it  produced,  men 
must  cease  to  perpetuate  the  cause." 

Dr.  Edwards  at  this  time  prepared  an  able  docu 
ment  on  THE  IMMORALITY  OF  THE  TRAFFIC  AS  PRE 
SENTED  IN  THE  BIBLE. 

"  The  Bible,"  he  says,  "  is  not  constructed  on  the 
plan  of  mentioning  every  practice  by  name,  and  say 
ing  in  so  many  words,  it  is  right,  or  wrong ;  but  on 
the  plan  of  revealing  certain  great  principles  of  right 
and  wrong,  by  which  every  practice  in  which  men 
ever  did  or  ever  will  engage,  may  be  tried,  and  be 
seen  to  be  right  or  wrong.  The  proper  question  is  not, 
Does  the  Bible  mention  this  or  that  thing  by  name; 
but,  Do  the  principles  of  the  Bible  approve  or  condemn  it  ? 
When  the  nature  of  the  thing  is  seen  in  the  light  of 
its  effects,  is  it  found  to  accord  with  those  principles, 
or  to  violate  them  ?  If  it  is  found  to  violate  them,  it 
is  forbidden;  it  is  an  immorality,  and  ought  to  be 
abandoned ;  and  as  certainly  as  the  Bible  shall  govern 
men,  it  will  be  abandoned  throughout  the  earth. 

"  What  then  are  the  facts  with  regard  to  the  traf 
fic  in  ardent  spirit,  to  be  used  as  a  drink  ?  What  is 
the  nature  of  this  traffic,  as  manifested  by  its  effects  ? 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  387 

Does  it  accord  with  the  principles  of  the  Bible,  or 
does  it  violate  them?  This  is  the  question  to  deter 
mine  its  morality,  or  immorality.  And  it  is  the  only 
question.  "What  then  are  the  principles  of  the  Bible, 
by  which  this  traffic  is  to  be  tried? 

"One  of  them  is  in  Matthew  6  : 13,  ' Lead  us  not 
into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil."1  This  is  a  prin 
ciple  so  important  that  the  Saviour  of  men,  who  was 
willing  for  their  good  even  to  die,  would  have  them, 
in  their  supplications  and  conduct,  daily  regard  it. 
Does  the  traffic  in  ardent  spirit,  to  be  used  as  a  drink, 
tend  to  lead  men  into  temptation ;  and  give  to  temp 
tation  peculiar  power  to  overcome  them,  so  that  they 
fall  by  it  into  sin,  when  they  otherwise  would  not  fall? 
And  is  this  its  natural  tendency  ?  If  it  is,  the  Bible 
forbids  it ;  and  to  pursue  it,  is  manifestly  an  immoral 
ity.  What  then  are  the  facts  ?" 

He  proceeds  by  an  array  of  facts  to  prove  that  the 
use  of  ardent  spirit  tends  to  idleness — to  crime—  -to  mur 
der.  He  then  discusses  the  great  principle,  "  Whatso 
ever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so 
to  them;"  and  then  the  command,  "  Abstain  from  fleshly 
lusts,  which  war  against  the  soul;"  and  then  the  princi 
ple,  "  As  we  have  opportunity,  let  us  do  good  unto  all  men" 
under  which  he  recapitulates  the  ruinous  effects  of 
intoxicating  drinks  on  the  body  and  the  soul,  and 
says  of  the  traffic,  "  Instead  of  doing  good,  it  does  evil, 
and  nothing  but  evil.  To  all  these  tremendous  and 
overwhelming  calamities  there  is  no  countervailing 
benefit.  And  while  the  cause  of  them  is  continued, 
they  never  can  be  prevented.  The  Bible  then  forbids 
it.  It  violates  all  those  principles  which  require  men  to 


388  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS.  D.  D. 

honor  God  or  do  good  to  man/and  j  it  is  manifestly  hos 
tile  to  both ;  and  no  principle  of  religion,  morality,  or 
humanity,  will  justify  its  -continuance."  He  adds  : 

"  The  Temperance  reformation,  which  has  scattered 
the  darkness  and  broken  the  slumber  of  ages,  and  is 
now  travelling  in  the  greatness  of  mercy  over  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  world,  was  begun  by  the  influ 
ence  of  the  Bible.  It  was  undertaken  in  prayer,  and 
for  the  purpose  of  delivering  souls  from  sin  and  death. 
It  was  to  remove  that  mighty  obstruction  to  the  effi 
cacy  of  the  Redeemer's  kindness,  which,  while  contin 
ued,  will  keep  millions  in  spiritual  bondage ;  and  to 
open  the  way  for  the  speedy  and  universal  triumphs  of 
his  grace.  This  it  is,  we  believe,  which  has  led  him 
to  favor  it,  and  by  his  mighty  power  to  crown  it  so 
extensively  with  his  blessing.  And  this  it  is,  which 
inspires  us  with  the  continually  growing  expectation, 
that  if  his  friends  do  their  duty,  it  will  never  stop  till 
drunkenness  has  ceased  from  under  heaven." 

As  the  documents  which  had  been  issued  showing 
that  LAWS  which  authorize  the  traffic  in  ardent  spirit  as  a 
drink  are  morally  wrong,  "proceeded  a  step  farther 
than  previous  publications  on  the  subject,  and  not 
only  called  in  question  the  morality,  but  proved,  as  it 
was  believed,  the  immorality  of  a  part  of  legislation 
which  had  long  received  extensive  sanction  and  sup 
port,'7  they  were  submitted  to  a  large  number  of  dis 
tinguished  physicians,  divines,  jurists,  and  statesmen, 
with  the  two  following  inquiries : 

"1.  Are  the  principles  exhibited  in  these  docu 
ments  in  your  view  correct,  and  the  arguments  sound  ? 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  389 

"2.  What  would  probably  be  the  effect  on  the 
great  interests  of  the  community,  should  the  people  gen 
erally,  and  legislators,  choose  to  have  all  legislation  on 
this  subject  conformed  to  those  principles?" 

To  these  questions  very  able  affirmative  replies 
and  discussions  of  the  principles  involved  were  receiv 
ed,  which  are  worthy  of  the  consideration  of  all  who 
wish  further  to  investigate  the  subject.  See  Fourth 
Permanent  Temperance  Document,  1834. 

June  3,  1834,  he  writes  to  Mrs.  Edwards'  brother, 
a  merchant  in  New  York,  on  the  occasion  of  his  mar 
riage  :  "  I  feel  a  strong  desire  that,  as  you  are  now 
beginning  life  as  it  were  anew,  you  should  begin  it 
with  the  Lord.  One  half  hour,  morning  and  evening, 
spent  by  yourself  in  reflection,  reading  the  Scriptures, 
and  prayer,  will  be  likely  to  have  a  very  important 
influence  upon  your  thoughts,  feelings,  and  conduct, 
through  the  day.  I  have  found  it  so  with  myself,  and 
doubt  not  it  must  be  so  with  others.  God  has  been 
very  kind  to  you  in  giving  you  property,  and  now  a 
companion  worthy  of  your  confidence  and  affection, 
and  who  may  be  to  you  a  rich  and  lasting  blessing. 
Now  is  a  favorable  time  to  devote  yourself  and  all 
that  you  are  and  have  to  him.  Should  you  and  your 
beloved  wife  daily  unite  your  hearts  in  supplications 
before  the  throne  of  the  heavenly  grace,  you  would 
find  that  it  would  lighten  all  your  sorrows,  and  double 
all  your  joys." 

Under  another  date  he  writes  to  the  same  brother, 
suggesting  the  inquiry  "  whether  it  would  not  be  well 
to  devote  from  ten  to  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  his 
income  to  charitable  and  benevolent  objects ;"  or  to 


390  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS.  D.  D. 

adopt  any  other  system  by  which  a  substantial  part 
of  all  his  income  might  be  devoted  by  the  steward  to 
Him  who  is  the  owner  of  all  things.  He  urges  this 
as  needful  to  counteract  that  "  love  of  money,  which 
every  person,  if  he  lays  up  for  himself  all  he  can  get, 
will  always  have,  and  which  will  be  likely  always 
to  prevent  him  from  coming  under  the  saving  influ 
ence  of  the  gospel ;  and  because  those  who  thus  ha 
bitually  give  a  part  of  their  income  to  save  the  souls 
of  men,  are  so  much  more  likely  themselves  to  be 
saved." 

Again  he  says,  "  In  a  late  New  York  Observer,  I 
saw  a  brief  notice  of  my  friend,  that  most  accomplished 
merchant,  Nathaniel  R.  Cobb  of  Boston.  Might  it 
not  be  well  for  all  merchants  to  adopt  resolutions*  as 
to  property,  similar  to  his.  He  had  the  fairest  pros 
pects  of  happiness  and  usefulness,  but  sickness  and 
death  came  at  the  age  of  thirty-five.  Yet  he  had 
hopefully  his  treasure  in  heaven.  His  sickness  was 
remarkably  peaceful,  and  his  death  blessed,  which  is 
worth  more  than  all  earthly  good.  My  highest  wish 
for  you  is,  that  your  life  may  be  such  that  this  blessed 
ness  may  be  yours." 

*  The  remarkable  resolutions  adopted  and  practised  upon  by 
Mr.  Cobb  were : 

"By  the  grace  of  God,  I  will  never  be  worth  more  than 
$50,000. 

"  By  the  grace  of  God,  I  will  give  one  fourth  of  the  net  profits 
of  my  business  to  charitable  and  religious  uses. 

"  If  I  am  ever  worth  $20,000, 1  will  give  one  half  of  my  net 
profits ;  and  if  I  am  ever  worth  $30,000,  I  will  give  three  fourths  ; 
and  the  whole,  after  $50,000.  So  help  me  God,  or  give  to  a  more 

faithful  steward,  and  set  me  aside. 

«N.  R.  COBB." 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  391 

Some  time  after,  as  a  son  began  to  receive  some 
proceeds  of  his  labors,  he  wrote  him,  "  You  had  better 
start  on  the  principle  of  giving  one-tenth  part  of  your 
net  profit  annually  to  good  objects.  The  other  nine 
parts  will  then  be  more  likely  to  benefit  you,  than  if 
you  lay  up  the  whole.  '  A  wise  son  heareth  his  father's 
instructions.' " 

"  BEEMO,  Fluvanna  county,  Va.,  Nov.  5,  1834. 

"Mr  DEAR  WIFE — I  am  now  at  the  mansion  of 
Gen.  Cocke,  who  called  on  you  with  Mr.  John  Tap- 
pan  when  I  was  absent.  He  has  five  hundred  acres 
of  the  best  meadow  land,  in  full  view  of  the  window 
from  which  I  am  writing,  lying  on  the  banks  of  James 
river.  The  meeting  of  the  Temperance  convention  at 
Charlottesville  was  an  intensely  interesting  one,  and 
closed  very  happily.  On  Friday  I  expect  to  start  for 
Richmond.  My  journey  has  hitherto,  through  the  di 
vine  kindness,  been  interesting  and  pleasant,  and  my 
health  is  quite  comfortable.  This,  if  there  were  none 
but  freemen  in  it,  would  be  a  delightful  region  of  coun 
try  ;  and  when  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed  God 
shall  universally  prevail  here,  joy  and  gladness  shall 
universally  abound,  thanksgiving  and  the  voice  of 
melody.  That  is  the  only  effectual  remedy  for  the 
ruins  of  the  fall,  and  for  the  ills  of  human  life." 

On  March  31, 1835,  Dr.  Edwards  was  unanimously 
elected  as  Associate  Secretary  of  the  Presbyterian 
Education  Society,  located  in  the  city  of  New  York. 
The  acceptance  of  this  appointment  was  urged  upon 
him  by  many  esteemed  brethren  in  New  York,  from 
the  great  need  of  additional  laborers  in  the  ministry, 
and  the  belief  that  Dr.  Edwards'  singleness  of  pur- 


392  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

pose,  devoted  piety,  sound  discretion,  kind  and  catho 
lic  feeling,  and  far-reaching  views  as  to  the  character 
of  men  needed,  and  wisdom  in  guiding  them  in  a 
course  adapted  to  the  highest  usefulness,  might  be  of 
incalculable  benefit  to  the  churches,  to  our  country, 
and  the  world.  It  was  believed  that  in  his  extensive 
communications  with  pastors  and  with  the  officers  and 
members  of  literary  and  theological  institutions,  he 
would  exert  a  most  salutary  influence  which  would  be 
felt  by  all  evangelical  Christian  denominations,  and 
that  in  no  way  perhaps  could  he  more  usefully  employ 
his  powers. 

But  the  early  champion  of  Temperance,  the  author 
of  the  "  Six  Sermons,"  then  located  in  the  great  West, 
came  in  with  his  plea,  that  that  battle  was  not.  yet 
fought,  and  many  triumphs  remained  to  be  won.  His 
reasons  against  a  transfer  to  another  agency  were 
mainly  these  three : 

"  1.  Because,  so  long  as  you  continue  to  act  as  an 
agent,  it  is  all  loss  and  no  gain  for  you  to  take  another 
sphere.  A  great  amount  of  experimental  knowledge 
in  your  present  sphere  cannot  be  transferred  to  the 
other,  and  must  be  acquired  by  time,  of  which  in  this 
short  life  we  have  little  to  spare. 

"2.  Because  the  Temperance  movement,  though 
progressive,  is  not  past  the  dangers  of  falling  back, 
through  want  of  a  constant  energetic  supervision  and 
system ;  or  of  shipwreck  by  ultra,  headlong  violence 
which  shall  divide  our  forces.  And  you  are  the  only 
man  to  whom  God  has  given  the  wisdom  and  energy 
and  influence  over  public  opinion,  to  guide  the  experi 
ment  safely  through. 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  393 

"  3.  Whatever  may  be  true  of  the  East,  we  are  by 
no  means  sufficiently  enlightened  and  organized  and 
consolidated  at  the  West,  to  hold  on  and  advance  to 
a  sure  victory.  Before  you  resign  your  Temperance 
agency,  you  ought  to  come  to  the  West  and  do  the 
work  up  here,  at  least  as  far  as  it  has  been  done  at 
the  East.  You  can  accomplish  at  the  West,  in  two 
or  three  years,  as  much  as  your  entire  agency  has  done 
at  the  East  j  and  no  other  man  can  do  it  in  the  same  or 
double  the  time." 

Mr.  Delavan,  the  champion  of  the  New  York  State 
Temperance  Society,  which  was  circulating  by  the 
hundred  thousand,  papers  advocating  abstinence  from 
all  intoxicating  drinks,  and  battling  the  brewers  for 
the  use  of  poisonous  drugs,  also  came  in  with  his  ear 
nest  plea.  "  I  should  feel  much  distressed  at  the  idea 
of  your  leaving  your  present  situation  for  any  other.  I 
know  no  other  man  fitted  to  fill  the  important  station. 
If  we  make  mistakes  here,  we  affect  only  a  single 
state ;  but  should  the  National  Society  make  a  misstep, 
the  whole  nation  would  feel  it.  I  do  hope,  dear  sir, 
that  you  will  stay  where  you  are,  and  by  your  wisdom 
keep  us  all  steady." 

Dr.  Edwards'  reply  to  the  request  of  the  Educa 
tion  Society  was,  that  "  so  far  as  he  could  judge,  it 
did  not  appear  to  be  consistent  with  the  present  indi 
cations  of  Providence  for  him  to  accept  the  appoint 
ment." 

At  the  same  date  he  also  replied  in  a  similar  man 
ner  to  a  request  that  he  would  engage  in  the  service 
of  "  the  American  Union  for  the  Relief  and  Improve 
ment  of  the  Colored  Race." 

17* 


394  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

About  the  same  time  renewed  overtures  were  made 
to  him  from  the  Western  Reserve  College,  Ohio,  and 
he  was  requested  to  consent  to  accept  the  office  of 
professor  of  theology  in  that  institution  ;  but  he  felt 
it  to  be  his  duty  to  discourage  further  proceedings  in 
that  direction. 

It  was  deemed  advisable  at  the  outset  of  the  Tem 
perance  movement  to  call  attention  simply  and  dis 
tinctly  to  the  evils  attending  the  use  of  ardent  spirit  as 
a  drink.  But  the  principle  involved  evidently  applied 
equally  to  all  intoxicating  drinks.  The  Fourth  Per 
manent  Document  had  been  closed,  in  1834,  with  the 
understanding  that  it  would  be  the  last ;  but  in  con 
nection  with  the  Temperance  anniversary,  May  26, 
1835,  another  document  was  prepared,  the  primary 
topic  of  discussion  being  the  nature  of  alcohol,  which 
was  shown  to  be  produced  by  vinous  fermentation.  Of 
course  it  exists  in  fermented  liquors ;  and  every  man 
might  readily  draw  the  inference,  that  if  the  use  of 
fifty-three  per  cent,  of  alcohol  in  brandy  and  rum 
was  wrong,  the  use  of  twenty-four  per  cent,  in  Ma 
deira  wine,  seventeen  per  cent,  in  claret,  thirteen  in 
champagne,  and  from  five  to  nine  in  ale,  cider,  etc., 
was  at  least  questionable.  From  this  date  onwards 
Temperance  papers  and  documents  speak  more  gener 
ally  of  the  evils,  not  of  alcohol  or  ardent  spirit  merely, 
but  of  all  intoxicating  drinks. 

"That  intoxicating  principle,  which  has  in  this 
country  been  the  chief  cause  of  drunkenness,  is  not," 
he  says,  "  the  product  of  creation ;  nor  is  it  the  result 
of  any  living  process  in  nature.  The  animal  kingdom, 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  395 

in  all  its  vast  variety  of  existence,  and  modes  of  opera 
tion,  saith, '  It  is  not  in  me  ;'  and  the  vegetable  king 
dom  responds,  '  It  is  not  in  me.'  It  cannot  be  found, 
and  it  does  not  exist,  among  all  the  living  works  of 
God.  Those  substances,  however,  which  contain  or 
which  will  produce  sugar,  after  they  are  dead,  and 
have  become  subject  to  those  laws  which  then  operate 
on  inanimate  matter,  in  the  incipient  stages  of  decom 
position,  undergo  a  process  which  chemists  call  vinous 
fermentation.  By  this  process  a  new  substance  is 
formed,  called  alcohol.  This  is  the  means  of  intoxi 
cation.  It  is  composed  of  hydrogen,  carbon,  and 
oxygen  in  the  proportion  of  13.04,  52.17,  and  34.79 
parts  to  a  hundred ;  and  is  in  its  nature,  as  manifested 
by  its  effects,  an  exceedingly  subtle  and  diffusive  poison. 
The  elements,  by  the  combination  of  which  this  is 
formed,  existed  before ;  but  the  substance,  which  this 
combination  forms,  did  not  before  exist.  It  is  an  en 
tirely  new  substance,  and  is  altogether  different  in  its 
nature  and  effects,  from  what  existed  before. 

"  We  are  the  more  particular  on  this  point,  because 
there  is  much  error  in  the  public  mind  with  regard 
to  it.  Many  suppose  that  there  is  some  portion  of 
alcohol  in  all  vegetable  substances ;  at  least  in  all 
whose  fermentation,  after  death,  will  produce  it.  But 
this  is  an  entire  mistake.  Not  a  living  vegetable 
under  heaven,  so  far  as  has  yet  been  discovered,  con 
tains  a  particle  of  it.  It  does  not  exist  in  any  living 
substance.  It  is  formed  only  by  vinous  fermentation. 
After  it  is  formed,  it  can  be  extracted  from  fer 
mented  liquors,  as  in  common  distillation." 

He  proceeds  to  state  that  alcohol  was  probably 


396  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

first  extracted  from  fermented  liquor  eight  or  nine 
hundred  years  ago.  It  was  soon  ascertained  to  be  a 
poison,  and  no  one  thought  of  its  ever  being  used  as  a 
drink.  About  the  year  1234,  however,  it  was  intro 
duced,  in  the  south  of  Europe,  as  a  medicine,  and  "in 
1581  was  introduced  by  the  English  as  a  kind  of 
cordial  for  their  soldiers  in  the  Netherlands  war."  He 
then  shows  the  reasons  why  men,  from  the  pleasure 
and  excitement  which  alcohol  at  first  occasions,  think 
it  does  them  good,  and  continue  to  use  it ;  and  then  why, 
from  its  exhausting  influence  on  the  system,  they  are 
led  to  increase  the  quantity,  and  so  go  on  till  they  "  com 
mit  suicide  as  really  as  if  they  did  it  with  arsenic,  a 
pistol,  or  a  halter." 

Believing  that  the  testimony  of  distinguished  men 
to  the  benefits  they  had  themselves  received  by  "en 
tire  abstinence  from  the  use,  as  a  beverage,  of  all  in 
toxicating  liquor,  would  be  of  service,  especially  to 
young  men,"  Dr.  Edwards,  in  November,  1835,  ad 
dressed  to  numerous  highly  respected  gentlemen  in 
the  various  departments  of  life,  the  three  following 
inquiries : 

"1.  What,  in  your  case,  has  been  the  effect  of 
abstinence  from  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquor,  on 
health? 

"2.  What  has  been  the  effect  on  the  capability 
of  making  great  and  continued  efforts  of  body  and 
mind? 

"3.  What  has  been  the  effect  on  the  feelings,  as 
to  cheerfulness,  uniformity,  etc.?  with  any  other  par 
ticulars  which  may  occur  to  you  as  important  to  be 
known  by  the  human  family." 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  397 

The  answers  to  these  inquiries  were  in  many  cases 
very  full,  and  abundantly  corroborative  of  the  salutary 
influence  of  entire  abstinence  from  all  intoxicating 
drinks.  Thirty-four  of  them  were  embodied  in  the 
report  presented  at  the  Temperance  anniversary  held 
at  Saratoga  Springs  in  August  following,  and  were 
added  to  the  permanent  Temperance  documents. 
They  are  at  once  an  admirable  testimony  to  the  value 
of  Temperance,  and  to  the  high  excellence,  moral 
worth,  patriotism,  and  benevolence  of  many  of  our 
eminent  fellow-citizens,  the  living  and  the  dead. 

Of  the  first  three  Temperance  documents,  or  parts 
of  them,  about  325,000  copies  had  been  put  into  circu 
lation  before  the  fourth  was  issued ;  and  when  sub 
sequent  parts  were  added,  vigorous  and  persevering 
efforts  were  made  to  supply  the  volume  "for  every 
preacher,  lawyer,  physician,  magistrate,  officer  of  gov 
ernment,  secretary  of  a  Temperance  society,  teacher 
of  youth,  and  educated  young  man  throughout  the 
United  States ;  and  also  for  sending  a  copy  of  it  to 
foreign  missionaries  and  distinguished  philanthropists 
in  all  parts  of  the  world."  The  substance  of  these 
documents  was  issued,  in  116  pages  8vo.,  as  a  "Tem 
perance  Manual  for  the  Young  Men  of  the  United 
States,"  with  the  hope  also  of  supplying  it  to  every 
accessible  family  of  immigrants  who  read  our  lan 
guage.  The  substance  of  the  documents  was  also  pub 
lished  by  the  American  Tract  Society  in  German  and 
in  French,  in  which  languages,  by  the  activity  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Baird,  who  was  then  in  Europe,  it  was  trans 
lated,  issued,  and  widely  circulated  both  in  Germany 
and  in  France. 


398  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

In  a  letter  to  the  king  and  the  crown-prince  of 
Prussia,  written  in  the  hope  of  extending  the  Tem 
perance  reformation  in  Germany,  Dr.  Edwards  says, 
"  The  number  of  Temperance  societies  formed  in  this 
country,  is  more  than  seven  thousand;  and  the  number 
of  persons  who  have  united  with  them,  more  than 
twelve  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  More  than  three 
thousand  distilleries  have  been  stopped ;  and  more  than 
seven  thousand  merchants  have  abandoned  the  traffic  in 
spiritous  liquors.  More  than  a  thousand  vessels  sail 
from  our  ports  in  which  no  such  liquors  are  used ;  and 
more  than  ten  thousand  persons,  who,  a  few  years  ago, 
were  drunkards,  now  use  no  intoxicating  drink.  They 
are  all  sober  men ;  many  of  them  are  industrious,  re- 
Bpectable,  and  useful ;  and  not  a  few  of  them  truly 
pious  men.  In  those  parts  of  the  country  in  which 
these  Societies  are  most  general,  industry,  economy, 
morality,  and  religion  have  been  greatly  revived; 
sickness  and  mortality  have  been  much  diminished, 
and  pauperism  and  crime  have  been  almost  entirely 
done  away." 

Mr.  JOHN  TAPPAN,  chairman  of  the  Executive  Com 
mittee  of  the  American  Temperance  Society,  says : 

"  I  was  placed  on  the  Committee  of  the  American 
Temperance  Society  with  Dr.  Edwards  at  its  forma 
tion  in  1826,  and  acted  with  him  during  the  whole 
period  of  his  agency,  and  continued  on  the  Committee 
with  him  until  the  close  of  his  life.  In  forming  its 
constitution,  conducting  its  correspondence,  employing 
its  agents,  attending  conventions,  drawing  resolutions 
as  chairman  of  the  business  committees  in  nearly  all 
the  public  meetings,  in  the  capital  at  Washington,  and 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  399 

the  capitols  of  most  of  the  states  of  the  Union,  he  was 
the  pivot  upon  which  all  moved.  His  gentleness  of 
manner,  'speaking  the  truth  in  love/  disarmed  oppo 
nents,  and  the  light  he  threw  upon  the  subject  in  de 
bate,  convinced  and  made  friends  of  those  who  came 
to  oppose.  Never  was  there  a  more  lovely  exhibition 
of  the  Christian  character,  than  was  displayed  by  him 
in  conducting  this  great  movement,  from  its  earliest 
conception  to  its  all-pervading  influence  through  this 
and  other  lands — an  influence  continually  extending, 
especially  in  these  United  States. 

"He  looked  forward  to  great  results,  in  the  fur 
ther  spread  of  the  gospel,  when  men  should  universally 
abandon  intoxicating  beverages ;  and  with  this  object 
in  view,  he  was  instant  in  season,  and  out  of  season, 
that  he  might  save  not  some  only,  but  many  of  the  de 
luded  unhappy  victims  of  intemperance,  made  such,  in 
many  cases,  more  by  injudicious  parents  and  friends, 
than  by  any  other  cause.  Never,  in  our  day,  should 
we  have  rejoiced  in  the  enactment  of  the  laws  prohib 
iting  the  traffic,  with  all  their  countless  blessings,  and 
have  seen  them  extending  their  influence  through  the 
United  States,  had  it  not  been  for  his  efforts  in  laying 
the  foundation  on  which  they  rest.  That  foundation 
was  the  word  of  God.  To  cause  men  universally  to  be 
temperate,  that  they  might  become  Christians,  was  the  one 
great  object  for  which  he  labored  and  prayed. 

"With  the  same  singleness  of  purpose,  he  after 
wards  engaged  in  efforts  for  the  promotion  of  the 
better  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  and  there  also  his 
influence  extended  over  our  land.  When  the  increas 
ed  facilities  for  travel  in  railroads  and  steam-boats, 


400  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

with  the  increase  of  wealth  which  was  flowing  into 
our  country,  alarmed  the  friends  of  the  Sabbath  lest  it 
should  be  more  extensively  desecrated,  his  influence 
was  greatly  felt  in  putting  a  stop  to  public  travelling, 
and  conveying  the  mails  on  the  Sabbath,  throughout 
a  large  portion  of  the  land.  In  the  cause  of  the  Sab 
bath,  as  in  that  of  Temperance,  the  influence  of  his 
efforts  will  extend  to  remote  time. 

"The  present  generation  have  lost  a  leader  who 
lived  what  he  taught,  and  whose  record  is  on  high. 
Never  has  a  brighter  combination  of  wisdom  in  coun 
sel,  energy  in  action,  and  humility  in  life  shone  forth; 
than  in  our  revered  friend  ;  and  to  have  so  often  met 
him  in  prayerful  consultation  and  familiar  intercourse, 
during  a  period  of  nearly  thirty  years,  has  been  one 
of  the  highest  of  my  privileges." 

To  Mrs.  Edwards  he  wrote,  "  Let  us  daily  pray  for 
our  children,  and  especially  on  the  birthday  of  each. 
That-  day,  if  you  please,  we  will,  as  far  as  circumstan 
ces  permit,  devote  as  a  day  of  special  supplication  to 
the  Father  of  all  mercies,  that  they  may  be  partakers 
of  his  rich  grace  in  Jesus  Christ,  be  disposed  to  serve 
him  and  do  good  on  the  earth,  and  be  prepared  to 
glorify  and  enjoy  him  for  ever  in  heaven." 

He  again  writes,  "  I  should  be  glad  to  have  all  the 
members  of  the  family,  every  night  before  they  go  to 
sleep,  repeat  that  delightful  hymn, 

'  Glory  to  thee,  my  God,  this  night/  etc., 
and  when  we  awake  in  the  morning,  that  other, 

'Awake,  my  soul,  and  with  the  sun,'  etc. 
I  like  these  hymns  very  much,  and  mean  daily  to 


HIS  LABORS  FOE.  TEMPERANCE.  401 

repeat  them  myself.  We  shall  then  be  able  to  sing 
them  without  the  book  j  and  however  we  may  be  sep 
arated,  shall  all  be  repeating  the  same  things  at  nearly 
the  same  time." 

To  his  youngest  son,  then  residing  for  a  time  in 
New  York,  he  wrote,  March  30,  1836,  "Your  brother 
Jonathan  is  now  anxious,  and  we  hope  seeking  his 
salvation.  Numbers  in  the  academy  have  become 
hopefully  pious.  A  temper  to  be  happy  in  doing  the 
will  of  God,  is  essential;  and  every  person  who  has 
not  such  a  temper,  should  fix  it  in  his  mind,  that  with 
out  a  change  he  will  be  wretched.  This  then  is  more 
important  than  learning,  wealth,  and  every  thing  else. 
It  is  indeed  '  the  one  thing  needful.' " 

Again  he  says,  "  Do  not  forget  that  the  great  busi 
ness  for  which  you  were  made,  and  on  which  your 
happiness  for  both  worlds  depends,  is  to  serve  God, 
love  and  obey  him.  Read  daily  a  portion  of  his  word, 
with  humble,  believing  prayer  for  the  teaching  of  his 
Spirit.  You  are  now  in  the  most  interesting  part  of 
your  existence,  and  forming  a  character  for  endless 
being.  Strive  daily  to  give  your  heart,  and  all  that 
you  are  and  have,  to  Jesus  Christ,  whose  favor  is  life, 
and  whose  loving-kindness  is  better  than  life." 

To  his  eldest  son  in  New  York  he  says,  "  I  send 
you  a  copy  of  Baxter's  Saints'  Rest,  which  I  should 
like  to  have  you  treat  as  a  friend — read  it  through 
with  care,  and  with  fervent  prayer  to  God  that  it  may 
be  to  you,  as  it  has  been  to  thousands,  the  means  of 
preparing  them  for  that  heavenly  rest  on  which  he, 
and  multitudes  of  others  through  his  instrumentality, 
there  is  reason  to  believe,  have  entered." 


402  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

Writing  from  Pittsburgh,  May  8,  1836,  he  says  to 
his  little  daughters,  "  This  morning  when  I  awoke,  just 
as  it  began  to  be  light,  I  heard  the  birds  singing  their 
Maker's  praises  most  sweetly.  And  it  made  me  think 
of  you,  and  hope  that  you  and  all  the  children  will 
do  so  too.  The  Lord  is  good  to  all.  All  his  works 
praise  him.  But  especially  should  those  do  it  who 
have  reason,  and  have  been  redeemed  by  the  suffer 
ings  and  death  of  his  own  dear  Son.  I  hope  you  do 
not  forget  the  way  to  be  happy.  Love  the  Lord, 
and  do  good,  be  kind  and  obliging,  hate  and  forsake 
all  sin,  and  trust  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  strive  to  be 
like  him." 

In  August,  he  attended  a  Temperance  Convention 
at  Saratoga  Springs,  where  he  wrote  Mrs.  Edwards, 
"I  see  no  objection  to  Jonathan's  being  admitted  to 
the  church  as  soon  as  the  way  is  prepared  for  it ;  or 
to  his  attending  commencement  at  Yale  College  and 
offering  himself  for  admission,  if  his  teachers  think  it 
best.  I  hope  he  will  daily  listen  to  the  Bible,  and 
seek  heartily  the  divine  guidance,  protection,  and  bless 
ing  ;  be  humble  and  diligent,  and  do  all  the  good  in 
his  power." 

"We  close  this  chapter  with  the  substance  of  a  glow 
ing,  Christ-exalting  address  by  Dr.  Edwards,  at  a 
foreign  missionary  meeting  in  Masonic  Hall,  New 
York,  February  11,  1835,  having  special  reference  to 
the  violent  death  of  the  missionaries,  Rev.  Messrs. 
MUNSON  and  LYMAN,  in  Sumatra,  and  the  sudden 
death  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  WISNEB,  secretary  of  the  Mis 
sionary  Board. 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  403 

"  Nothing1;"  he  said,  "  except  the  contemplation  of 
God  fills  my  mind  with  greater  awe  than  the  contem 
plation  of  the  human  soul — its  amazing  power,  its 
endless  duration,  its  capability  of  for  ever  rising  from 
glory  to  glory,  or  sinking  from  woe  to  woe. 

"But  the  points  suggested  by  this  occasion,  are, 
That  souls  have  begun  a  course  of  departure  from  God, 
the  fountain  of  all  being,  and  excellence,  and  blessed 
ness  •  and  that  from  this  course  they  must  return  in 
this  life,  or  they  will  continue  on  it  for  ever  and  for 
ever ;  and  that  nothing  but  the  gospel  will  ever  induce 
them  to  return." 

He  proceeds  to  show  the  darkness  of  the  heathen ; 
the  pollution  of  their  gods — that  the  more  they  wor 
ship  them  and  pray  to  them,  the  more  they  become 
like  them ;  and  that  not  only  the  heathen  must  perish 
without  the  gospel,  but  we  need  on  our  own  account  to 
send  it  to  them,  to  "  live  not  unto  ourselves,  but  unto 
Him  that  died  for  us  and  rose  again."  Christ  made 
the  one  great  sacrifice  in  bearing  our  sins  in  his  own 
body  on  the  tree :  he  never  faltered  or  shrunk  back 
till  he  could  say,  "It  is  finished."  It  is  now  for  us  to 
do  our  duty.  It  is  not  the  way  of  love  to  wish  the 
object  beloved  to  make  all  the  sacrifices,  while  he  who 
loves  lives  supremely  to  himself. 

"  It  was  not  so  with  Paul.  He  did  not  wish  to  have 
Christ,  or  any  other  one,  do  all  or  suffer  all.  The 
love  of  Christ  constrained  him  to  count  all  things  but 
loss,  that  he  might  proclaim  the  great  salvation  in 
places  in  which  the  name  of  Jesus  had  not  been 
known.  He  rejoiced  even  in  his  sufferings,  '  that  he 
might  fill  up  that  which  was  behind  of  the  afflictions 


404  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

of  Christ,  for  his  body's  sake,  which  is  the  church/ 
This  he  did,  not  on  the  ground  of  merit,  but  as  the 
fruit  and  evidence  of  love ;  because  God,  and  his  own 
salvation,  and  the  salvation  of  the  heathen,  required  it. 

"  So  with  Brainerd,  and  Martyn,  and  Mills.  As 
MILLS  came  one  day  and  took  my  arm,  he  said,  that 
no  young  man  redeemed  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and 
living  in  the  nineteenth  century,  ought  to  intend  to 
die,  or  to  live,  without  an  effort  to  make  his  influence 
felt  round  the  globe.  Hall,  and  Newell,  and  Judson, 
and  Parsons,  and  Fisk,  whose  tongues,  moved  by  the 
love  of  Jesus,  I  have  often  heard  plead  for  dying 
heathen,  did  not  wish  to  have  all  the  labors  perform' 
ed,  and  all  the  privations  and  sufferings  endured  by 
others.  They  chose  to  do  and  suffer  a  part  them 
selves.  Their  salvation  required  it,  Christ  required 
it,  and  the  joy  which  they  wished  to  excite  in  heaven 
required  it.  I  remember  hearing  the  modest,  but 
heavenly-minded  FISK  once  say — and  his  form  seems 
now  to  rise  up  before  me,  as  if  it  were  only  yester 
day  when  he  spoke  it — '  0  what  a  privilege  it  is  to  live 
in  this  day.  The  way  is  open ;  a  man  may  do  as  much 
as  he  chooses.  0,  it  is  an  unspeakable  privilege  to 
live  in  such  a  day.7  Fisk  gave  not  only  his  money, 
but  he  gave  himself.  And  do  you  think,  as  he  stood 
on  Calvary,  or  lay  gasping  in  death,  or  as  he  rose  to 
glory,  that  he  altered  his  opinion?  No.  Nor  was  he 
alone.  There  were  Richards,  and  Robbins,  and  War 
ren,  and  many  others,  whose  love  to  Christ,  and  to 
souls,  carried  them  to  the  other  side  of  the  globe ; 
yes,  and  farther  too,  it  carried  them  to  heaven. 

"  ROBBINS  is  a  name  not  often  mentioned  among 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  405 

missionaries,  but  in  heart  and  soul  he  was  a  great  mis 
sionary  ;  by  whose  mighty  instrumentality,  and  that 
of  others,  was  prayed  into  existence  the  whole  system 
of  American  missions.  His  bones  slumber  in  a  south 
ern  clime,  and  his  spirit,  we  trust,  mingles  sweetly 
with  that  rapidly  increasing  band  of  perfect  missiona 
ries,  before  the  throne  of  God. 

"I  could  tell  you  too,  of  MUNSON  and  LYMAN, 
who  began  privation  and  sacrifices  while  in  the  midst 
of  overflowing  abundance,  that  when  called,  in  Java, 
or  Sumatra,  or  Siam,  to  make  them,  they  might,  not 
only  by  the  strengthened  love  of  Christ,  but  also  by 
the  power  of  habit,  be  rendered  more  easy  and  more 
sweet.  Precious  youth — they  loved  not  their  lives, 
but  they  loved  Christ,  unto  the  death. 

" '  But/  it  is  said,  '  they  died  by  the  hand  of  vio 
lence.'  So  did  Stephen,  though  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  So  did  Peter,  though  he  could  say,  even  to 
the  Searcher  of  hearts,  '  Thou  knowest  all  things ;  thou 
knowest  that  I  love  thee.'  And  so  did  Paul ;  and 
though  to  live  was  Christ,  to  die  was  gain.  By  the 
hand  of  violence?  Mr.  President,  where  had  been 
your  hope,  and  mine,  and  the  hope  of  other  sinners,  if 
no  one  had  been  willing,  for  the  salvation  of  men,  to 
die  by  the  hand  of  violence,  and  to  make  his  grave 
with  the  wicked  ?  Thanks,  everlasting  thanks  to  Him 
who  was  willing,  when  it  was  needful,  to  die  by  the 
hand  of  violence.  'I,  if  I  be  lifted  up/  said  he,  'will 
draw  all  men  unto  me.7  Therefore  we,  and  this  dying 
world  have  hope. 

" '  But  they  died  so  soon/  it  is  said.  Yes,  and  it 
was  probably  because  that  prayer  which  Jesus,  when 


406  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

about  to  taste  death  for  them,  put  up,  was  so  soon 
answered :  '  Father,  I  will  that  they  whom  thou  hast 
given  me,  be  with  me  where  I  am,  that  they  may  be 
hold  my  glory.'  Robbins,  as  when  dying  he  was 
reminded  of  his  friends,  raised  his  eyes,  and  smiling, 
whispered,  '  I  have  friends  there,  I  hope ;  and  go  to 
them,  not  from  them.' 

" '  But  those  poor  widows  without  a  guide,  or  pro 
tector,  what  will  become  of  them,  and  that  little  fa 
therless  child?'  Without  a  guide,  or  protector?  a 
little  child,  too,  in  a  land  of  strangers,  among  heathen, 
and  fatherless?  Whose  voice  do  I  hear,  so  much 
sweeter  than  the  voice  of  angels,  so  divinely  tender, 
and  yet  all-pervading,  echoing,  wherever  the  Bible 
goes,  down  to  the  end  of  time, '  Leave  your  fatherless 
children,  and  let  your  widows  trust  in  me.'  Which 
is  best,  to  have  an  earthly  father  and  protector,  such 
as  Munson,  or  Lyman,  or  any  other  mortal  man,  or  to 
have  the  Lord  God,  gracious  and  merciful,  slow  to 
anger  and  abundant  in  kindness,  saying,  '  I  will  never 
leave  thee,  nor  forsake  thee  ?; 

"  *  But  the  heathen  are  perishing,  we  have  not  hall 
as  many  missionaries  as  we  need  ;  and  what  can  God 
mean  in  taking  so  many  so  soon  away?'  What  can 
he  mean  ?  He  means  that  Christ  shall  have  '  the 
heathen  for  his  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts 
of  the  earth  for  his  possession ;'  that '  all  nations,  and 
kindreds,  and  people  shall  serve  him.'  When  Christ 
raises  up  missionaries,  and  fits  them  for  his  service  by 
pouring  into  their  minds  the  light  of  heavenly  truth, 
and  shedding  abroad  in  their  hearts  richly  of  his  love 
by  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  they  come  to  us,  and  urge 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  407 

upon  us  with  the  living  voice,  and  the  corresponding 
living  example,  the  last  great  command  of  the  Sav 
iour,  and  we  do  not  obey,  but  hug  our  children,  hoard 
our  treasures,  and  live  for  this  world,  and  will  not  hear 
the  voice  of  their  life,  then  he  speaks  to  us  in  their 
death.  And  in  this  way,  he  does  not  speak  in  vain. 

"  HARRIET  NEWELL,  though  we  had  then  few  mis 
sionaries,  did  not  live  to  go  to  the  spot  where  the 
mission  was  to  be  established.  She  died,  but  her  death 
was  the  seed  of  missions.  I  found  her  life  on  the 
shelf,  away  off  at  the  south,  in  a  place  where,  I  believe, 
they  did  not  see  missionaries,  or  hear  missionary  ser 
mons.  But  Harriet  Newell,  speaking  in  accents  of 
death,  and  pleading  for  dying  heathen,  with  a  tongue 
and  a  power  to  which  when  living  she  was  a  stranger, 
went  and  preached  to  them.  Though  she  sleeps  on 
the  other  side  of  the  globe,  she  has  raised  her  voice 
so  as  to  be  heard  almost  throughout  Christendom,  and 
it  is  not  spent,  she  does  not  become  fatigued ;  her 
voice  has  awakened  many  a  minister  in  our  own  land 
to  his  duty  ;  and  many  a  daughter  and  son  have  been 
devoted  to  the  service  of  God  among  the  heathen* 
But  Oh,  I  tremble  when  I  recollect  that  we  have  been 
so  backward  to  do  our  duty,  and  that  God  has  found 
it  needful  to  add  so  many  other  dying  voices  to  hers, 
in  order  to  awaken  us  from  our  slumbers,  and  lead  us 
to  obey  him.  Ten  times,  by  the  death  of  missionaries, 
God  hath  spoken  to  us  the  past  year.  0  may  we  hear 
the  voice,  and  awake  to  our  duty. 

"  Said  JEREMIAH  EVARTS,  in  one  of  the  last  conver 
sations  that  I  had  with  him,  {  There  is  nothing  in  this 
world  like  being  a  benefactor  of  minds;'  a  sentiment 


408  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

worthy  of  being  inscribed  on  the  annals  of  the  uni 
verse.  So  said  Evarts,  not  in  words  only  upon  one 
occasion,  but  habitually  and  perseveringly  in  deeds. 
And  when  he  came  to  die,  as  they  wiped  the  cold 
sweat  from  his  face,  he  opened  his  glimmering  eyes, 
and  looking  upward,  said,  'Infinite  glory,  infinite 
glory !'  Yes,  '  infinite  glory '  is  before  the  man  that 
lives  for  Christ,  and  is  a  benefactor  of  minds :  glory 
which  eye  hath  not  seen ;  and  into  which,  when  he 
leaves  the  body,  he  will  enter  and  will  shine  as  the 
brightness  of  the  firmament,  and  as  the  stars  for  ever 
and  ever. 

"Young  men,  I  speak  to  you — you  who  are,  or 
may  be,  blessed  with  grace,  talents,  and  education. 
There  is  nothing  in  this  world  like  being  a  benefactor 
of  minds ;  and  nothing  that  more  surely  or  rapidly 
fits  the  soul  for  heaven,  than  making  known,  from  love 
to  Christ,  the  gospel  of  his  grace  to  dying  men.  This 
may  be  one  reason  why  those  who  engage  in  it  with 
all  the  heart,  are  so  soon  prepared,  through  grace,  to 
be  with  Christ,  beholding  his  glory,  and  made  per 
fectly  like  him ;  where  l  they  hunger  no  more,  neither 
thirst  any  more,  but  the  Lamb  himself  leads  them  to 
fountains  of  living  water,  and  wipes  away  all  tears 
from  their  eyes.' 

"When  I  have  seen  brother  WISNER,  during  the 
past  year,  stand  and  plead  as  for  his  life  for  perishing 
heathen,  as  his  bosom  heaved  and  his  eye  swelled 
with  tears,  I  have  often  thought  of  what  a  minister  said 
to  me  once  of  brother  CORNELIUS,  six  months  perhaps 
before  his  death,  a  minister  with  whom  he  used  to  take 
counsel,  and  unite  in  prayer  :  '  It  appears  to  me  he  is 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  TEMPERANCE.  409 

fast  preparing  for  heaven.'  And  that  dying  woman, 
too,  on  whom  I  once  called,  at  whose  bed-side  Cor 
nelius  had  been  offering  up  his  supplications,  said  to 
me — and  she  was  on  the  borders  of  heaven,  when 
such  persons  sometimes  have  peculiar  spiritual  dis 
cernment — '  I  think  he  is  ripening  for  a  bright  crown 
of  glory.7 

"And  may  we  not  hope,  must  we  not  hope,  that 
this  was  also  the  case  with  Wisner  ?  When  I  met 
him  in  Tremont-street  two  weeks  ago  yesterday,  he 
hastened  and  took  my  hand  and  said,  '  Where  have 
you  been  that  I  could  not  find  you?  I  have  been 
wanting  to  see  you.  I  wrote  you  a  letter  about  it 
before  I  got  home.'  And  what  did  he  want?  To  tell 
what  he  had  thought  about  a  plan  for  more  speedily 
evangelizing  the  world.  And  if,  through  boundless 
grace,  he  was  thus  prepared  for  a  bright  crown  of 
glory,  why  should  he  not  wear  it ;  especially  when  it 
would  be  for  the  glory  of  Christ,  and  swell  the  joy  of 
that  great  band  of  missionaries -who  had  gone  before 
him  to  glory,  to  see  him,  after  all  the  tossings  of  this 
tempestuous  world,  landing  in  safety  on  the  heavenly 
shore  ?  And  more  especially  when  we  may  hope  that 
his  death  too  will  start  into  life  many  a  precious  mis 
sionary  who  may  do  more  for  God  among  the  heathen, 
than  even  he  could  have  done,  had  he  lived.  As  the 
voice  by  his  death  waxeth  louder  and  louder,  saying, 
'Whom  shall  I  send,  and  who  will  go  for  us?'  me- 
thinks  I  hear  one,  and  another,  and  another,  from  the 
East,  and  the  West,  and  the  North,  and  the  South, 
saying,  '  Here,  Lord,  am  I ;  send  me !; 

"  Missionaries  will  be  greatly  increased,  but  we 

Edwardt.  18 


410  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

must  not  depend  upon  them.  No,  their  very  founda 
tion  is  in  the  dust,  they  dwell  in  houses  of  clay,  and 
they  are  crushed  before  the  moth.  We  must  look 
upward  to  God ;  yes,  one  and  all  of  us  must  look  up, 
with  hearty  submission,  unwavering  confidence,  and 
transporting  hope.  In  the  closet,  in  the  family,  morn 
ing  and  evening,  every  day ;  as  we  walk  the  street, 
and  sit  in  the  house ;  at  the  monthly  concert  espe 
cially,  let  every  man,  woman,  and  child  that  loves 
Christ,  or  wishes  for  the  salvation  of  those  for  whom 
he  died,  cry  mightily  unto  God,  and  rest  not  from 
prayer  and  action,  till  'the  kingdoms  of  this  world 
are  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  of  his 
Christ.'" 

In  January,  1837,  the  "American  Temperance 
Union,"  consisting  of  the  officers  of  the  American 
Temperance  Society  and  of  the  several  state  societies, 
commenced  its  operations  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia, 
when  its  present  secretary,  Eev.  John  Marsh,  entered 
on  his  official  labors  in  connection  with  that  institu 
tion.  As  secretary  of  the  Connecticut  Temperance 
Society,  though  still  pastor  at  Haddam,  Mr.  Marsh 
had  long  and  actively  cooperated  with  Dr.  Edwards ; 
and  as  early  as  1829,  published  his  rousing  Temper 
ance  appeal,  "Putnam  and  the  Wolf,"  No.  240  of  the 
Tract  Society's  series. 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  411 


CHAPTER  X. 

HIS  PRESIDENCY  IN   THE   THEOLOGICAL 
SEMINARY. 

SIX  YEARS— 1836-1842. 

DR.  EDWARDS,  in  February,  1836,  was  elected  Pro 
fessor  of  Theology  in  the  Seminary  then  recently 
organized  in  the  city  of  New  York;  and  on  the  9th 
of  March  he  wrote  the  Directors  of  that  institution : 
"  The  subject  is  of  great  importance ;  and  when  the 
facts  connected  with  it  shall  have  been  fully  laid  be 
fore  me,  I  shall  endeavor  to  give  it  that  attentive 
and  prayerful  consideration,  which  a  subject  so  inti 
mately  connected  with  the  prosperity  of  the  Redeem 
er's  kingdom  and  the  salvation  of  men,  appears  to 
deserve." 

While  the  question  of  accepting  this  appointment 
was  pending,  he  applied  by  letter  to  many  esteemed 
brethren  for  their  counsel,  and  the  question  had  not 
been  decided  when,  on  the  21st  of  April,  he  received 
the  following  note  from  the  Hon.  Samuel  Hubbard  of 
Boston,  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the 
Theological  Seminary  at  Andover. 

"  I  have  said  nothing  to  you  in  relation  to  your 
invitations  to  the  Western  Reserve  and  to  New  York. 
As  to  the  first,  I  never  had  the  least  doubt.  As  to 
the  second,  our  doings  at  Andover,"  (at  a  meeting 
of  the  trustees,  just  held,  electing  him  President  of 


412  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

the  Theological  Seminary  there,)  "will  assure  you 
what  my  most  deliberate  judgment  is  as  to  your  appro 
priate  sphere  of  usefulness  in  the  service  of  our  divine 
Master." 

The  venerable  Mr.  Bartlet,  one  of  the  founders, 
and  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Visitors,  already  the 
largest  donor  to  the  seminary,  uniting  in  the  judg 
ment  of  Mr.  Hubbard  and  others,  had  agreed  to  pay 
the  salary  of  Dr.  Edwards  for  five  years,  should  he  be 
elected  President — an  office  which  had  existed  in  the 
seminary  only  during  the  last  six  years  of  the  life  of 
Rev.  Dr.  Porter,  the  senior  professor,  from  1828  to 
Ins  death  in  1834;  and  which  has  since  been  filled 
only  during  the  time  it  was  occupied  by  Dr.  Edwards. 
It  was  the  quenchless  desire  of  Mr.  Bartlet,  Mr.  Hub- 
bard,  and  others,  that  the  seminary  should  be  pre 
served  a  pure  fountain  sending  forth  pure  streams ; 
and  they  had  great  confidence,  that  the  hallowed  in 
fluence  of  Dr.  Edwards  in  the  station  assigned  him, 
and  virtually  as  pastor  of  the  seminary,  of  the  acad 
emy,  and  of  the  schools  and  families  connected  with 
them,  would  be  wisely  and  powerfully  exerted  for 
that  end. 

In  view  of  all  the  light  he  was  able  to  obtain,  he 
felt  constrained  .to  decline  the  appointment  at  New 
York,  and  to  accept  that  of  the  seminary  of  whose 
board  of  trustees  he  had  for  sixteen  years  been  an 
active  member. 

"To   the   Reverend   and   Honorable    the   Trustees   of  Phillips 
Academy,   in  Andover. 

"  GENTLEMEN — The  appointment  to  the  Presidency 
of  the  Theological  Seminary  in  Phillips  Academy, 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  413 

which  I  had  the  honor  to  receive  from  you,  I  have 
considered,  with  a  portion  at  least  of  that  desire  for 
divine  guidance  and  attention  to  the  indications  of  the 
divine  will,  which  the  great  importance  of  the  subject 
seemed  to  require.  The  subject  has  not  been  without 
difficulty,  nor  have  I  been  free  from  painful  solicitude 
with  regard  to  it.  It  has  at  times  appeared  to  me 
doubtful  whether  I  shall  probably  enjoy  as  good  health 
in  the  situation  to  which  you  invite  me,  as  in  the  one 
which  I  now  occupy ;  and  if  I  should,  whether  I  can 
be  as  useful  to  the  world.  But  after  all  the  light 
which  I  have  obtained,  by  application  to  the  Father 
of  lights,  and  attention  to  those  indications  by  which 
he  ordinarily,  on  such  occasions,  manifests  his  will,  I 
have  come  to  the  conclusion  to  accept,  and  I  hereby 
do  accept,  the  appointment  to  the  Presidency  of  the 
Theological  Seminary  under  your  care ;  and  will,  with 
the  divine  permission,  enter  upon  the  discharge  of  its 
duties  at  the  commencement  of  the  next  term.  *  *  * 
"  Wishing  you  at  all  times  the  divine  guidance  and 
blessing,  and  asking  an  interest  in  your  prayers,  that 
I  may  be  faithful  and  useful,  that  the  seminaries  under 
our  care  may  be  eminently  instrumental  in  advancing 
the  kingdom  of  our  Redeemer,  and  that  we  may  all, 
after  having  served  God  and  our  generation  accord 
ing  to  his  will,  meet  as  trophies  of  grace  before  his 
throne,  and  mingle  with  that  blest  assembly  who 
through  faith  and  patience  are  now  inheriting  the 
promises,  I  am  with  great  respect  and  esteem, 
"  Truly  and  gratefully  yours, 

"J.  EDWARDS. 

"ANDOVER.  July  16, 1836." 


414  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

On  the  7th  of  September,  1836,  he  was  inaugurated 
President  of  the  Theological  Seminary,  on  which  occa 
sion  he  delivered  an  address  to  the  young  men  about 
to  leave  the  Seminary,  on  the  sacred  work  of  the  gos 
pel  ministry. 

In  August  previous,  he  had  been  unanimously 
elected  Chancellor  of  "the  University  of  Western 
New  York,"  for  which  a  location  had  been  selected 
at  Buffalo,  and  an  endowment  of  "two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars"  had  been  subscribed; 
but  the  communication  from  the  Rev.  John  C.  Lord 
and  others,  announcing  this  election,  reached  him  after 
he  had  accepted  the  appointment  at  Andover. 

In  tracing  the  life  of  Dr.  Edwards  while  laboring 
in  the  Temperance  reformation,  we  have  had  the  most 
abundant  materials,  in  public  documents,  and  in  ap 
peals  which  he  must  necessarily  issue  in  order  to  reach 
the  minds  of  individual  men  throughout  the  commu 
nity.  As  President  of  the  Seminary  ;  as  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees,  or  Chairman  of  their  Commit 
tee  of  Exigencies  ;  in  his  consultations  with  members 
of  the  respected  Board  of  Visitors,  or  with  the  Faculty, 
or  with  individual  members  of  the  Seminary  or  Acad 
emy,  or  in  regard  to  all  the  varied,  responsible,  and 
often  complicated  interests  requiring  his  patient,  labo 
rious  attention  and  care,  his  deliberations  and  counsels 
were  to  a  great  extent  official  and  confidential.  He 
neither  wrote,  nor"  reported  them  verbally,  to  any  one. 
Those  who  consulted  him  as  to  official  duties,  or  their 
individual  interests,  had  a  right  to  know  that  it  was 
in  a  confidence  ever  to  remain  sacredly  inviolate.  Of 
this  portion  of  his  life  and  labors  while  in  the  Presi- 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMI 

dency,  however  rich  it  may  have  been  in  lessons  of 
wisdom  or  instruction,  we  have  of  course  no*7ecord. 
Those  who  knew  most  intimately  the  labors  and  re 
sponsibilities  devolving  on  him  at  this  period,  believe 
that  they  were  not  less  arduous  than  in  other  portions 
of  his  life,  and  that  their  blessed  results  will  appear  in 
the  revelations  of  the  final  day. 

In  an  official  report  at  the  end  of  his  first  year  in 
the  Theological  Seminary,  he  says,  "  I  have  prepared 
and  preached,  during  the  year,  twenty- three  sermons 
on  the  great  principles  and  duties  of  the  Christian 
religion.  I  have  endeavored  to  exhibit  them  in  an 
experimental  and  a  practical,  rather  than  in  a  scientific 
and  scholastic  form,  as  I  considered  them  in  this  form 
best  adapted  to  promote  the  spiritual  interests  of  the 
Seminary. 

"I  have  attended  the  devotional  exercises  of  the 
chapel  daily,  through  the  year,  in  the  morning •  and 
have  taken  my  proportion  with  the  other  officers,  who 
have  not  been  excused  from  this  service,  in  the  even 
ing.  I  have  spent  one  evening  in  a  week,  most  of  the 
year,  with  one  of  the  other  officers,  in  prayer  and 
religious  conversation  upon  some  experimental  and 
practical  subject,  with  the  members  of  the  seminary  ; 
and  have  taken  my  proportion  in  the  criticism  of  the 
sermons  of  the  Senior  class. 

"I  have  also  had  one  exercise  a  week  with  the 
resident  licentiates  on  the  composition  and  delivery  of 
sermons,  and  the  performance  of  the  various  duties  of 
the  ministry.  One  evening  in  a  week  has  been  devoted 
to  conversation  with  all  who  wished  to  see  me  on  the 
subject  of  religion.  I  have  taken  the  charge  of  the 


416  REV.  JUSTIN    EDWARDS,   D.  D. 

pulpit,  and  of  the  monthly  concert,  and  have  had  one 
meeting  in  a  month  for  the  families  belonging  to  the 
congregation. 

"  All  the  members  of  each  of  the  seminaries  who 
wished  for  the  privilege,  have  had  access  to  my  study 
for  an  hour  and  a  half  in  a  day,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  inquiries  on  any  subject  with  regard  to  which 
they  wished  for  counsel  and  advice.  Much  time  has 
often  been  employed  in  this  service ;  and  I  have 
endeavored,  as  far  as  circumstances  would  permit,  to 
act  the  part  not  only  of  a  pastor,  but  of  a  father  ;  and 
from  the  frequent  expressions  of  gratitude  which  I 
have  received,  I  am  led  to  believe  that  this  exercise 
may  have  been  useful  to  many. 

"I  have  also  conducted  the  correspondence  of  the 
seminary  ;  which,  with  the  numerous  letters  of  inquiry 
from  individuals,  churches,  literary  and  benevolent 
institutions,  for  pastors,  teachers,  agents,  etc.,  and  also 
for  advice  with  regard  to  their  concerns,  has  required 
much  time  and  labor." 

At  the  end  of  the  second  year  he  reports,  that 
there  had  been  an  addition  of  forty-three  students, 
making  the  whole  number  one  hundred  and  two ;  that 
"  during  the  winter  term  there  was  an  increasing  at 
tention  to  the  subject  of  religion,  and  several  cases  of 
hopeful  conversion  among  the  members  of  the  academy 
and  others  belonging  to  the  congregation ;"  that  mem 
bers  of  the  seminary  had  performed  much  faithful 
labor  during  the  spring  vacation,  in  places  visited  by 
the  special  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  that  he  had 
devoted  one  evening  each  week  to  conversation  and 
prayer  with  all  who  wished  to  meet  to  make  inquiries 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  417 

on  the  subject  of  religion,  and  once  in  three  months 
had  attended  a  meeting  for  the  mothers  and  the  chil 
dren  ;  that  in  the  morning  prayers  of  the  seminary, 
which  he  had  uniformly  attended,  he  had  found  op 
portunity  to  speak  to  the  members  on  subjects  to 
which  at  any  time  he  thought  their  attention  ought  to 
be  turned  j  and  that  three  hours  in  each  day  his  study 
had  been  open,  for  consultation  and  advice,  "  not  only 
to  the  one  hundred  young  men  in  the  seminary,  but 
more  than  two  hundred  youths  in  the  other  institu 
tions,  many  of  whom,"  he  says,  "  are  without  parents, 
most  of  whom  are  at  a  distance  from  their  friends, 
and  not  a  few  of  whom  are  laboring  under  pecuniary 
and  various  other  embarrassments,  and  are  greatly 
needing  wise  parental  advice  ;"  which  gave  "  the  best 
opportunity  to  become  intimately  acquainted  with 
many  in  the  morning  of  life,  and  under  circumstances 
peculiarly  favorable  to  exerting  upon  them  a  salutary 
influence." 

At  the  end  of  the  next  year,  he  says,  "  The  number 
of  students  who  have  entered  the  Seminary  during  the 
year,  exclusive  of  the  advanced  class,  has  been  fifty- 
two^  and  ten  who  had  been  absent  have  returned; 
twelve  entered  the  advanced  class ;  making  an  addi 
tion  to  the  number  of  students  in  the  Seminary  of 
seventy-four,  the  whole  number  being  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five.  The  state  of  religion  in  the  Seminary  has 
been,  in  view  of  the  Faculty,  comparatively  favorable  ; 
and  the  character  of  those  who  now  finish  their  course 
of  study  is  such  as  to  give  good  reason  to  hope  that, 
with  the  divine  blessing,  they  may  be  rendered  emi 
nently  useful  to  the  world.  A  number  of  them  are 

18* 


418  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

devoted  to  the  work  of  missions  among  the  heathen ; 
and  it  is  the  opinion  of  the  Faculty,  that  the  prevalence 
of  the  missionary  spirit  has  been,  and  promises  to  con 
tinue  to  be,  highly  salutary  to  all  the  great  interests 
of  the  institution." 

Addressing  the  students  of  the  Seminary,  October, 
1837,  on  the  responsibilities  and  duties  of  the  ministry, 
he  gives  the  following  hints  as  to  a  minister's  conversa 
tion  and  conduct,  which  we  record  not  only  as  inher 
ently  valuable,  but  as  having  been  faithfully  exempli 
fied  in  his  own  life  as  pastor. 

"The  conversation  and  conduct,  and  the  whole 
example  of  a  minister,  at  all  times,  and  in  all  things, 
should  be  such  as  will  strengthen  and  confirm  the 
influence  of  his  preaching.  Ministers  are  a  spectacle 
not  only  to  God,  and  to  angels,  but  to  men.  All  eyes 
are  upon  them,  and  all  ears  open  to  their  words.  In 
the  stage,  in  the  steam-boat,  in  the  parlor,  in  the  pub 
lic  concourse,  in  the  private  circle,  or  when  convers 
ing  with  individuals — anywhere,  everywhere,  'the 
priest's  lips  should  keep  knowledge/ 

"  No  man  can  measure  his  influence  for  good,  con 
cerning  whom  it  can  in  truth  be  said,  he  utters  no  im 
proper  words.  And  no  one  can  express  the  pain  which 
is  sometimes  given  to  the  sensitive  and  discreet  mind, 
or  the  injury  that  is  done,  by  the  unsavory,  ill-judged, 
frothy  conversation  of  a  thoughtless,  vain,  indiscreet, 
or  even  hypochondriacal  minister.  Does  he  travel? 
you  hear  of  his  remarks,  from  the  mouths  of  the 
thoughtless  and  the  profane,  all  along  his  journey ; 
and  among  his  own  people,  they  become  the  current 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE   SEMINARY.  419 

coin  of  conversation — counteracting,  and  often  more 
than  counteracting,  the  good  which  he  might  have 
done,  if  his  conversation  had  been  *  in  simplicity  and 
godly  sincerity/  as  became  his  office.  He  is  a  minister 
of  Him,  who  so  spake  that  men  '  wondered  at  the 
gracious  words  which  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth;' 
and  in  this  he  hath  left  us  'an  example,  that  we 
should  follow  his  steps.' 

"A  minister  may  sometimes  converse  so  much  about 
himself]  as  to  lead  all  to  conclude  that  he  thinks  more 
about  himself,  than  he  does  about  God  ;  sometimes  so 
much  about  his  friends,  as  to  show  that  he  idolizes 
them;  sometimes  so  much  about  the  rich  and  the 
great,  as  to  show  that  he  seeks  supremely  to  be  like 
them. 

"He  may  converse  so  constantly  and  in  such  a 
manner  about  property,  especially  when  buying  and 
selling,  as  to  make  the  impression  that  his  treasure  is 
on  earth — that  there  is  nothing  he  loves  above  gold. 
So  far  as  all  transactions  with  regard  to  property  are 
concerned,  it  is  ordinarily  wise  for  a  minister  first  to 
ascertain  the  value  of  the  thing  in  question,  so  as  to 
prevent  imposition,  and  then  to  do  his  business  in  the 
kindest  way,  and  with  as  few  words  as  practicable. 
Let  him  see  to  it  that  he  does  not  in  reality  love  the 
world;  and  that  he  does  not  make  the  impression  that 
he  loves  it. 

"A  minister's  manner  of  speaking  about  persons 
may  be  such  as  to  make  the  impression  that  he  does 
not  speak  of  others,  as  he  would  wish  and  ought  to 
wish  that  they  should  speak  of  him ;  and  of  course 
that  he  is  not  governed  by  the  spirit  of  the  gospel. 


420  REV.   JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

All  that  is  trifling  or  frivolous  in  his  conversation- 
all  that  is  unmeaning  and  apparently  adapted  only  to 
flatter  his  hearers,  or  to  make  them  think  highly  of 
himself — all  that  is  not  an  exemplification  of  the  truths 
which  he  inculcates  in  the  pulpit,  will  tend  to  prevent 
their  good  effects.  Nor  is  it  enough  that  it  should  not 
be  positively  in  opposition  to  the  truth  ;  it  must  be  in 
favor  of  it :  here  it  is  emphatically  true,  that  he  that 
gathereth  not  with  Christ,  scattereth  abroad. 

"I  do  not  mean  that  a  minister  must  speak  only 
upon  the  subject  of  religion,  and  never  converse  with 
freedom  on  the  things  of  this  life  ;  but  that  he  should 
do  it  at  such  times,  and  in  such  a  way,  as  is  adapted 
to  leave  the  impression  that  life  is  a  vapor,  that  eter 
nity  draweth  nigh,  that  'one  thing  is  needful/  that 
{ now  is  the  accepted  time  f  in  such  a  way  as  shall 
say,  in  moving  and  persuasive  accents,  '  0  that  they 
were  wise,  that  they  understood  this,  that  they  would 
consider  their  latter  end.'  In  all  his  intercourse  with 
his  people,  this  should  manifestly  be  his  great  object, 
that  to  which  his  time,  his  talents,  his  influence,  his 
all  of  body  and  mind,  should  be  habitually  and  per- 
severingly  devoted.  His  heart's  desire,  his  prayer  to 
God  should  manifestly  be,  that  they  may  be  saved. 

"  I  might  also  urge  a  strict  regard  to  simple  truth 
in  all  his  professed  narrations  of  facts,  so  that  all  who 
hear  him,  or  hear  of  his  statements,  may  with  con 
fidence  and  safety  conclude  that  the  things  stated  are 
really  so.  If  a  man  prevaricate,  or  exaggerate  in  con 
versation,  and  others  find  that  they  cannot  rely  upon 
him  out  of  the  pulpit,  it  tends  directly  and  powerfully 
to  destroy  their  confidence  in  what  he  says  in  the 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  421 

pulpit,  and  thus  to  cripple  his  power  of  producing 
conviction,  even  when  he  declares  the  truth.  'Let 
your  communication  be  yea,  yea  ;  nay,  nay ' — simple 
verities  in  all  things ;  that  none  need  ever  doubt  the 
correctness  of  your  representations." 

December  29, 1838,  he  preached  to  the  Theological 
seminary  from  the  text,  "Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that 
was  slain;"  presenting  Christ  as  a  willing,  an  un 
changeable,  an  almighty  Saviour. 

"Do  you   doubt,"  he  says,  "whether   the   great 

tpostle  justly  spoke  of  him  as  '  God  over  all,  blessed 
>r  ever  ?7  Look  into  heaven,  and  see  written  by  the 
finger  of  God  in  great  capitals  for  the  universe  to 
read,  'Worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt 
thou  serve.'  Then  listen  to  the  heavenly  song, '  Bless 
ing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto  Him 
that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  THE  LAMB,  for 
ever  and  ever/  Do  they  not  worship  Christ?  If  so, 
they  break  the  first  command,  or  Jesus  Christ  is 
God.  And  if  men  cannot,  or  will  not  view  and  treat 
him  as  such  here,  what  can  they  do  in  heaven  ? 

"  Do  you  say  he  was  a  man,  he  looked  like  a  man, 
and  acted  like  a  man?  He  ate,  and  drank,  and  labor 
ed,  and  died ;  and  in  all,  appeared  like  a  man  ?  No 
doubt,  for  he  was  a  man ;  in  all  respects  like  other 
men,  except  sin.  But  why  was  he  a  man  ?  I  know 
that  he  who  'in  the  beginning  was  with  God,  and  was 
God — by  whom  all  things  were  created  that  are  in 
heaven  and  that  are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible, 
whether  they  be  thrones  or  dominions,  or  principal 
ities  or  powers,  and  without  whom  was  not  any  thing 


422  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

made  that  was  made7 — was  himself  'made  flesh,  and 
dwelt  among  us;'  that  'he  took  not  on  him  the  na 
ture  of  angels,  but  the  seed  of  Abraham/  '  was  found 
in  fashion  as  a  man,  and  humbled  himself,  and  became 
obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross.7 

"  But  why  was  he  a  man  ?  To  die  for  you,  and  for 
me,  and  thus  open  a  way  in  which  God  might  be  just, 
and  yet  save  us  from  an  eternity  of  sinning,  and  an 
eternity  of  suffering  •  change  us  into  his  own  blessed 
image,  and  raise  us  to  seats  of  glory  at  his  right  hand. 
Had  it  not  been  for  his  love  to  us,  and  his  desire  to 
save  us,  he  never  had  been  a  man ;  but  had  reignecL 
in  the  glory  which  he  had  with  the  Father  before  the 
world  was,  to  everlasting  ages,  and  no  being  in  heaven 
had  doubted  who  he  was. 

"  But  he  loved  sinners,  and  gave  himself  for  them. 
Shall  they  on  this  account  withhold  from  him  their 
hearts,  and  refuse  to  give  him  their  lives?  While 
angels  and  cherubim  and  seraphim  veil  their  faces, 
and  cast  their  crowns  at  his  feet,  and  raise  the  high 
est  ascriptions  of  glory  '  to  him  that  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  to  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever,7  shall  they 
who.  have  been  redeemed  to  G-od  by  his  blood  stand 
mute,  or  say  in  their  hearts,  *  We  will  not  have  him  to 
reign  over  us  ?7 " 

At  the  time  of  the  prostration  of  his  health  in 
Boston,  May,  1829,  Dr.  Edwards  resigned  his  mem 
bership  of  the  Publishing  Committee  of  the  American 
Tract  Society  at  New  York.  In  September,  1839,  he 
was  reflected  to  that  office ;  but  as  he  still  believed 
that  the  pressure  of  his  official  and  other  public  duties 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  423 

forbade  his  resuming  the  labors  required,  a ,  special 
committee  of  the  Society,  consisting  of  S.  Y.  S.  Wil 
der,  Esq.,  president,  Rev.  James  Milnor,  D.  D.,  chair 
man  of  the  Executive  and  Publishing  Committees,  and 
Rev.  William  A.  Hallock,  secretary,  addressed  him 
on  the  subject,  in  a  note  written  by  Rev.  Dr.  Milnor. 

"  REVEREND  AND  DEAR  SIR — The  Executive  Com 
mittee  of  the  American  Tract  Society  have  received 
with  great  regret  your  letter  declining  the  appoint 
ment  which  they  had  hoped  you  would  accept,  as  a 
member  of  the  Publishing  Committee. 

"  Under  a  deep  sense  of  the  importance  of  having 
a  gentleman  of  the  Congregational  denomination  on 
that  committee,  who  with  other  required  qualifications 
should  have  so  established  a  reputation  in  that  body 
and  in  the  community  as  to  give  weight  to  our  pub 
lications  by  his  revision  and  sanction  of  them,  and 
believing  that  divine  Providence  directs  us  immedi 
ately  to  yourself  as  that  person,  we  are  induced  to  ask 
of  you  the  favor  to  reconsider  your  determination. 

"The  interest  you  have  heretofore  taken  in  the 
Tract  cause,  and  the  valuable  contributions  you  have 
made  to  our  series,  together  with  the  great  importance, 
in  the  view  of  the  resident  members  of  the  Publishing 
Committee,  of  having  associated  with  them  an  eastern 
colleague  in  whom  they  could  so  entirely  confide  as 
yourself,  induce  them  to  hope  that  you  may  still  feel 
yourself  at  liberty  to  engage  in  this  interesting  ser 
vice. 

"We  are  persuaded  that  the  duty  will  be  less 
arduous  than  you  imagine,  as  the  Publishing  Commit 
tee  will  only  forward  you  for  examination  such  Tracts 


424  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

as  the  resident  members  have  previously  approved, 
and  of  course  you  will  be  spared  the  reading  of  a 
large  quantity  of  manuscript  which  they  have  had  the 
labor  of  examining,  and  have  been  obliged  to  reject. 

"Be  assured,  it  will  afford  great  pleasure  to  the 
Executive  Committee,  and  they  believe  essentially 
promote  the  good  cause  in  which  they  are  engaged, 
if  you  can,  though  it  be  at  some  sacrifice  of  personal 
convenience,  unite  with  them  in  their  labor  of  love." 

Dr.  Edwards  soon  consented  to  act  again  on  the 
Publishing  Committee,  and  continued  to  discharge  the 
duties  of  that  office  until  his  death. 

Mrs.  Edwards'  brother  in  New  York,  in  whose 
spiritual  welfare  he  had  felt  so  deep  an  interest,  hav 
ing  obtained  hope  in  Christ,  he  wrote  him  May  14, 
1838  :  "  It  has  rejoiced  our  hearts,  and  I  trust  led  us  to 
praise  the  Lord,  that  through  his  kindness  and  grace, 
you  have  been  led  to  hope  in  his  mercy.  Next  to  the 
gift  of  a  Saviour,  the  gift  of  a  heart  to  trust  in  him, 
is  the  greatest  which  God  ever  bestows  upon  the  chil 
dren  of  men.  If  the  Lord  has  granted  you  this  bless 
ing,  he  has,  my  dear  brother,  done  more  for  you  than 
if  he  had  given  you  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world. 

"  If  your  hope  is  that  which  will  not  fail,  but  will 
be  as  an  anchor  to  the  soul,  sure  and  steadfast,  it  will 
lead  you  to  make  it  your  great  object  to  be  in  temper 
like  our  blessed  Saviour,  and  in  all  things  to  do  his 
holy  will.  You  will  see  more  and  more  clearly,  and 
feel  more  and  more  deeply  your  own  unworthiness 
and  guilt,  your  indebtedness  for  all  your  comforts  to 
God's  unmerited  grace,  and  will  strive  to  honor  him 
in  body  and  spirit,  which  are  his. 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  425 

"  Seek,  my  dear  brother,  in  all  things  to  set  a  holy 
example,  and  to  do  good  as  you  have  opportunity  to 
all.  Your  conversion  may  be  in  answer  to  the  pray 
ers  which  have  been  offered  by  many  for  this  event. 
Pray  much  yourself  for  the  salvation  of  others,  and 
forget  not  our  dear  son  Justin,  and  the  other  dear 
children  which  G-od  has  given  us  and  you." 

A  few  weeks  later  he  writes  this  beloved  brother, 
requesting  him  to  join  in  a  concert  of  private  prayer, 
in  which  the  parents  and  a  few  friends  had  "  agreed," 
for  the  conversion  of  absent  sons  and  each  of  the  chil 
dren  of  the  family.  He  adds  by  way  of  encourage 
ment,  "Did  we  know  how  ready  Jehovah  is  to  hear 
and  answer  prayer,  we  should  no  doubt  pray  much 
more  than  we  now  do,  and  with  much  more  faith, 
earnestness,  and  perseverance.  It  may  have  seemed 
strange  that  you  should  be  brought  to  hope  that  you 
know  the  truth,  believe  in  and  love  the  Saviour.  But 
when  it  shall  be  told,  in  eternity,  how  many  times 
your  beloved  mother  has  made  this  her  last  petition 
at  night,  and  her  first  petition  in  the  morning,  how 
much  others  have  prayed  for  you,  and  how  faithful 
God  is  to  answer  prayer,  the  mystery  may  be  un 
folded." 

His  two  younger  sons  being  now  in  Yale  College, 
he  prepared  for  them  the  following 

HINTS  TO  A  STUDENT   AT  "COLLEGE. 

"Make  it  your  first  object  to  discharge  your  duty 
to  God,  to  love  him  supremely,  and  obey  his  com 
mands  ;  and  daily  read  a  portion  of  his  word,  with 
prayer  for  the  teaching  of  his  Holy  Spirit. 


426  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

"  Keep  holy  the  Sabbath,  statedly  attend  public  wor 
ship,  avoid  the  reading  of  worldly  books,  and  attention 
to  wordly  business,  conversation,  or  amusement. 

"Be  regular  and  diligent  in  your  studies.  Pass 
over  nothing  which  is  required  in  college  without 
thoroughly  understanding  it.  Be  punctual  and  con 
stant  in  your  attendance  upon  all  college  duties ;  and 
treat  all  the  officers  of  college  uniformly  with  polite 
ness  and  respect. 

"  Choose  the  sober  and  the  good  only  for  your 
companions  ;  and  never  associate  with  those  who  are 
in  any  way  vicious.  Never  be  afraid  to  say  to  any 
one  who  solicits  you  to  do  an  improper  thing,  '  No.' 

"  Engage  in  no  business,  or  reading,  or  amusement, 
or  any  thing  which  will  hinder  you  from  attending 
every  recitation,  and  being  thoroughly  prepared. 
Never  think  it  a  mark  of  genius  to  be  idle,  or  of  dul- 
ness  to  study  hard.  Never  be  found  in  opposition  to 
the  government.  Though  all  college  should  go  wrong, 
let  it  be  seen  and  known  by  all,  that  you  on  this  point 
will  go  right. 

"  In  your  dress  be  plain,  simple,  neat ;  and  in  your 
manners  easy  and  dignified ;  be  respectful  to  superi 
ors,  kind  and  affable  to  inferiors,  and  open,  frank,  and 
generous  to  equals.  Never  feel  uneasy  at  hearing 
others  praised,  or  try  in  any  way  to  disparage  them. 
Rejoice  that  others  can  do  so  well,  and  strive  yourself 
to  do  better. 

"  Take  good  care  of  your  health ;  exercise  at  least 
two  hours  in  a  day ;  rise  and  retire  early ;  use  cold 
water  freely  in  washing  every  morning,  and  apply  a 
coarse  towel  briskly  to  the  skin ;  and  do  the  same 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  427 

whenever  there  is  an  inability  to  sleep  during  the 
night.  Eat  regularly  and  slowly,  masticate  thorough 
ly,  and  always  be  accommodating  and  polite  at  the 
table. 

"In  journeying,  be  as  circumspect  as  you  would  be 
at  home  ;  treat  all  with  politeness  ;  never  differ  with 
any  one,  should  he  take  your  seat  in  the  stage  or  the 
car,  and  never  dispute  with  any  one  by  the  way.  Show 
that  you  can  bear  an  affront,  or  if  need  be  an  injury, 
without  condescending  to  notice  it.  Ever  delight  to 
show  a  kindness,  and  do  all  the  good  you  can. 

"Let  the  consequences  be  what  they  may,  never 
do  what  you  know  to  be  wrong,  or  neglect  what  you 
know  to  be  right.  In  all  things  strive  to  be,  rather 
than,  seem  to  be ;  and  to  do  that  which  you  will  most 
approve  for  ever. 

"  Daily  ask  God  for  Christ's  sake  to  guide  you  in 
all  your  views,  feelings,  words,  and  actions ;  for  he 
that  trusteth  to  his  own  wisdom,  or  goodness,  or,  in 
the  language  of  the  Bible,  '  to  his  own  heart/  is  a  fool. 
'  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom,  and 
a  good  understanding  have  they  who  keep  his  com 
mandments.'  '  Hold  thou  me  up,  and  I  shall  be  safe ;' 
guide  me,  and  I  shall  go  in  the  right  way." 

He  afterwards  says,  "Among  the  most  common 
baits  which  the  devil  puts  upon  his  hook,  in  order  to 
catch  young  men  in  college,  are  wine,  cards,  profane- 
ness,  and  tobacco.  Whoever  nibbles  at  either  of  them, 
may  expect  to  be  caught.  Avoid  soda,  mead,  confec 
tionary,  and  every  thing  which  tends  to  generate  an 
artificial  appetite  of  any  sort.  Keep  your  natural  appe 
tite,  and  you  will  find  that  nothing  quenches  thirst  so 


428  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

well,  or  tastes  so  good  as  pure  water,  a  beverage  as 
perfect  as  infinite  power  can  make." 

Again  he  says,  "  Mr.  Webster  and  all  such  men  are 
now  experiencing  the  benefit  of  their  thorough  atten 
tion  to  science  when  young  ;  while  many  are  exerting 
far  less  influence  than  they  might  have  done,  had  they 
not  while  in  college  neglected  their  studies  for  that 
which  they  thought  would  in  future  life  be  to  them  of 
more  advantage.7' 

To   a  son  in   College. 

".ANDOVER,  Feb.  24, 1840. 

"Mr  DEAR  SON — There  is  much  more  than  usual 
attention  to  religion  in  many  places,  and  a  number 
have  become  hopefully  pious.  At  such  times,  God 
may  be  said  to  be  peculiarly  near ;  and  it  gives  spe 
cial  emphasis  to  his  direction,  '  Seek  ye  the  Lord  while 
he  may  be  found,  call  ye  upon  him  while  he  is  near.' 
It  often  appears  to  be  much  easier  to  secure  the  salva 
tion  of  one's  soul  at  such  times  than  at  others.  But 
it  must  be  made  the  object  @f  chief  attention.  A  heart 
to  see  and  feel  one's  own  sins,  to  abhor  and  forsake 
them,  to  behold  the  infinite  beauty,  loveliness,  and 
excellence  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  trust  in  him  as  a  Sav 
iour,  and  to  delight  in  obeying  him,  is  infinitely  better 
than  all  wisdom,  knowledge,  or  wealth,  without  it. 

"  The  coming  Thursday  is  a  day  which  is  very  gen 
erally  observed  as  a  day  of  special  prayer  for  colleges 
and  other  seminaries  of  learning.  I  suppose  you  have 
public  exercises  on  that  occasion.  All  such  seasons  I 
should  be  glad  to  have  you  attend,  feeling  that  every 
thing  is  of  small  importance  compared  with  the  sal 
vation  of  the  soul." 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  429 

A  week  later  he  says,  "I  feel  especially  desirous 
that  you,  my  dear  son,  should  now  make  this  your 
great  concern.  Without  a  heart  to  choose  God  as 
your  portion,  to  give  him  your  supreme,  your  best 
affections,  and  make  it  your  great  object  in  life  to 
honor  him  and  do  good,  you  are  not  fitted  to  live  or 
prepared  to  die ;  and  you  are  constantly  robbing  him 
of  what  is  most  justly  his  due.  You  know  from  your 
acquaintance  with  the  word  of  God,  that  you  must 
experience  a  change  in  the  temper  of  your  mind,  or 
you  cannot  see  his  kingdom.  And  you  know  also, 
from  your  own  consciousness,  that  without  it  you  can 
not  be  happy  here.  As  you  must  at  some  time  make 
this  your  great  concern,  or  it  had  been  better  for  you 
not  to  have  been  born,  and  you  can  never  have  a  bet 
ter  time,  is  not  the  present  a  peculiarly  favorable  time? 
it  may  be  your  only  time.  Does  not  duty,  interest, 
safety,  blessedness,  every  thing  dear  and  every  thing 
dreadful,  urge  you  to  give  yourself,  and  all  that  you 
are  and  have,  without  delay,  to  Him  who  hath  said 
and  sealed  it  with  his  blood, '  Him  that  cometh  unto 
me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.' " 

Again  he  says,  "  Contemplate,  my  dear  son,  your 
character  and  condition  as  a  sinner  in  the  sight  of 
God.  Go  to  him  habitually,  and  tell  him  honestly 
and  freely  how  you  feel,  and  what  you  need ;  beseech 
him  to  grant  you  his  Spirit — who  convinces  of  sin, 
of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment ;  who  takes  of  the 
things  of  Christ,  and  shows  them  unto  men ;  who 
opens  blind  eyes,  unstops  deaf  ears,  softens  hard  hearts, 
and  brings  those  that  were  afar  off  nigh  by  the  blood 
of  Jesus.  And  forget  not,  that  Jesus  is  now  '  exalted 


430  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

to  give  repentance  and  forgiveness  of  sins.'  He  inter 
cedes  for  you,  invites  you  to  come  to  him,  guilty  as  you 
are,  and  will  delight  to  receive  you ;  and  there  would 
be  great  joy  in  the  presence  of  all  the  angels  of  God. 
Give  them  this  joy,  my  dear  son,  and  let  that  Saviour 
who  freely  gave  up  his  life  for  you,  have  your  soul  for 
a  jewel  in  his  crown  of  glory." 

To  the  compiler  he  wrote  in  reference  to  this  son, 
"  If  convenient  and  pleasant  for  you  and  your  friends 
to  remember  him  before  your  heavenly  Father,  and  to 
ask  that  he  may  be  furnished  to  be  an  instrument  in 
preparing  jewels  for  the  crown  of  Him  whom  the 
Father  delighteth  to  honor,  you  will  lay  me  under 
many  and  great  and  new  obligations  by  doing  so,  and 
may  be  instrumental  in  saving  not  only  one,  but  many 
souls  from  death,  and  hiding  multitudes  of  sins." 

To  his   eldest  son  in  New  York. 

"ANDOVER,  March  7,  1840. 

"Mr  DEAR  SON — I  am  glad  to  hear  of  so  much 
attention  to  religion  in  New  York,  and  hope  you  will 
ever  feel  that  the  blessings"  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are 
the  greatest  and  most  to  be  desired  of  all  blessings. 
If  persons  feel  their  need  of  Christ  and  his  salvation, 
give  up  themselves  to  him,  trust  in  him,  and  choose  to 
serve  him,  he  has  promised  that  they  shall  not  want 
any  good  thing.  He  will  keep  them  from  the  dan 
gers  to  which  they  may  be  exposed,  will  guide  them 
in  the  right  way,  will  give  them  as  much  of  this 
world  as  shall  be  best  for  them,  will  order  all  things 
for  their  good,  and  when  they  leave  this  world  will 
receive  them  to  himself.  They,  and  they  only,  are 
safe,  and  in  the  way  in  which  alone  it  is  possible  to 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  431 

be  either  excellent  or  happy,  in  this  life  or  the  life  to 
come. 

"  The  Bible  is  the  expression  of  His  will.  And  per 
sons  may  know  something  how  they  feel  towards  Him, 
by  knowing  how  they  feel  towards  that.  If  they  love 
the  one,  they  will  love  the  other.  And  if  you  do  not 
find  delight  in  daily  searching  the  Scriptures,  you 
should  fix  it  in  your  mind  that  your  heart  is  not  right 
with  God,  and  that  without  a  great  change  you  can 
not  see  his  kingdom.  Daily  spread  out  your  feelings 
to  him,  and  beseech  him  to  grant  you  the  teachings  of 
his  Spirit.  May  the  Lord  guide  and  bless  you,  my 
son,  and  make  you  a  blessing.7' 

To  his  sons  in  college  he  wrote,  June  11,  record 
ing  the  wonderful  preservation  of  the  life  of  their 
elder  brother  :  "  We  yesterday  received  a  letter  from 
Justin,  dated  Galena,  Illinois,  June  5,  saying  that  he 
was  on  board  a  steam-boat  in  the  Missouri  river,  which 
struck  a  snag  and  sunk."  He  says, 

"'She  sunk  in  three  minutes.  Six  persons  were 
drowned  j  two  women,  three  children,  and  an  old  man. 
In  the  afternoon  four  or  five  of  us  had  been  talking 
about  the  bursting  of  boilers,  and  other  accidents  of 
steam-boats  upon  these  waters.  We  all  concluded 
that  the  stern  of  the  boat,  on  the  -hurricane  deck, 
would  be  the  safest  place  should  the  boat  strike  a 
snag.  While  talking,  the  supper-bell  rang.  Just  after 
we  were  seated  we  heard  a  tremendous  crash,  and 
knew  that  the  boat  had  struck.  The  dishes  were  all 
knocked  off  the  table,  and  some  of  the  persons  from 
their  seats.  I  sprung  for  my  life-preserver,  which  I 
had  in  my  berth  already  filled.  I  took  that  and  was 


432  REV    JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  1). 

on  the  hurricane  deck  in  less  than  a  minute ;  two  oth 
ers  followed,  one  of  them  was  the  old  man.  All  the 
others  who  could,  got  into  the  small  boat,  which  was 
immediately  filled,  and  sunk  before  it  reached  the 
shore,  but  all  got  safe  to  land.  The  steam-boat  ca 
reened,  and  threw  us  who  were  on  the  deck  into  the 
water.  The  current  was  strong, -and  it  was  nearly 
two  hours  before  I  reached  the  land,  and  when  I  did 
I  was  out  of  sight  of  the  place  where  the  boat  sunk. 
I  was  cold,  and  ran  as  fast  as  I  could  up  the  river,  till 
I  came  to  the  passengers.  The  one  who  stood  on 
deck  with  me  was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river 
safe,  but  the  old  man  was  drowned.  I  immediately 
left  the  spot,  and  after  walking  about  four  miles,  found 
a  wagon  and  went  back  to  St.  Louis.' 

"He  had  $1,400  with  him  when  in  the  water,  but 
so  secured  that  it  was  not  injured.  He  will  be  kept 
out,  should  he  live  and  be  able  to  travel,  a  number  of 
weeks  longer  than  he  expected.  The  goodness  of  God 
in  his  preservation  should  be  devoutly  acknowledged, 
and  that  life  which  God  has  so  graciously  spared,  be 
devoted  to  his  service." 

To  his  son  so  kindly  preserved,  he  wrote,  "  We 
rejoice  and  desire  to  be  grateful  to  God,  the  author  of 
all  good  and  the  giver  of  every  mercy,  for  his  kind 
ness  in  your  preservation,  and  that  having  obtained 
help  of  him  you  are  permitted  to  continue,  as  we  hope, 
in  the  land  of  the  living.  So  true  it  is,  that  we  do  not 
know,  and  we  cannot  know,  what  a  day  or  an  hour 
may  bring  forth.  The  merchant  is  unwise  who  does 
not  get  his  goods  insured.  How  much  more  he  who 
does  not,  by  believing  in  the  Saviour  and  loving  him, 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  433 

secure  the  everlasting  interests  of  his  soul,  when  that 
is  so  much  more  exposed  than  goods,  and  so  much 
more  valuable,  and  the  loss  of  it  so  much  more  irrep 
arable. 

"  It  must  have  been  a  solemn  time  to  you  when  in 
the  water,  your  companions  sinking  by  your  side,  and 
you  not  knowing  but  that  soon  you  would  follow 
them.  No  one,  without  experience,  can  know  the 
value  at  such  a  time,  of  having  a  good  hope  through 
grace  of  an  interest  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  a 
joyful  assurance  that  if  called  to  be  absent  from  the 
body  the  soul  will  be  present  with  the  Lord,  behold 
ing  his  glory  and  rejoicing  in  his  love.  Had  you 
then,  my  dear  son,  closed  your  probation,  where  would 
now  have  been  your  soul  ?  Nothing  of  this  sort  occurs 
by  chance.  It  is  under  the  wise  and  good  direction 
of  God.  It  is  a  call  to  you,  in  his  providence,  to 
give  him  your  heart,  and  devote  that  life  which  he  has 
so  kindly  preserved,  as  an  offering  of  gratitude,  to  his 
service.  Pray  daily  for  his  Spirit,  that  you  may 
hearken  to  his  voice,  love  him,  and  trust  in  him.  And 
may  that  love  which  led  God  to  give  up  his  dearly 
beloved  Son  to  die  for  you,  constrain  you  to  live 
henceforth  not  unto  yourself,  but  unto  Him  who  died 
for  you  and  rose  again." 

To  a  son  who  for  a  short  time  assisted  in  a  post- 
.office  he  wrote,  January  21, 1841,  "  Do  nothing  in  con 
nection  with  the  post-office  but  what  is  strictly  legal, 
and  be  as  careful  not  improperly  to  deprive  the  gov 
ernment  of  their  just  revenue,  as  you  would  be  not  to 
deprive  an  individual  of  his  just  due.  There  is  some 
times  much  looseness  of  conscience  on  this  subject, 

Edwards.  1  9 


434  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

even  among  professed  Christians,  and  they  seem  to 
think  it  less  wrong  to  defraud  the  government  than 
to  defraud  an  individual.  But  this  is  not  right.  We 
experience  great  blessings  through  the  medium  of  our 
government,  and  we  should  conscientiously  and  cheer 
fully  pay  our  proportion  of  taxes,  customs,  postage, 
etc.,  for  its  support." 

Writing  to  a  relative  a  few  days  later,  he  says,  "  I 
have  had  more  than  twenty  students  to  examine  this 
week,  preparatory  to  their  being  licensed  to  preach ; 
and  sometimes  it  takes  two  or  three  hours  to  examine 
one  and  say  all  to  him  which  seems  important  before 
he  begins  to  preach.  It  is  a  great  thing  for  a  minis 
ter  to  preach  even  one  sermon,  and  have  all  that  is 
said  strictly  true,  and  so  said  that  it  will  convey  noth 
ing  but  truth  to  others." 

About  the  same  date  he  wrote  to  a  Christian 
friend,  who  he  perhaps  feared  might  awaken  prejudice 
or  opposition  in  the  young  and  tender  mind  by  too 
anxious  endeavors  for  immediate  spiritual  results : 

" '  First  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  after  that  the  full 
corn  in  the  ear.'  '  The  husbandman  hath  patience  for 
the  early  and  latter  rain.'  So  must  we  have  patience. 
The  husbandman  who  keeps  all  the  time  handling  the 
little  tender  blade,  and  pulling  it  with  his  fingers,  and 
trying  to  make  it  grow  faster,  and  bring  forth  fruit 
now  before  it  is  half  grown,  will  not  help  it  any,  or- 
have  any  greater  harvest,  than  he  who  prepares  the 
ground,  keeps  out  the  weeds,  and  goes  to  sleep  at 
night,  while  it  springs  up  and  grows  he  knows  not 
how.  And  'he  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing 
precious  seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again  with  rejoic- 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  435 

ing,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him/  and  giving  all 
the  praise  to  the  God  of  the  harvest,  who  giveth  '  seed 
to  the  sower  and  bread  to  the  eater/  for  ever." 

Reporting  to  the  compiler  his  approval  of  the  trea 
tise  on  "  Love  to  God/7  by  the  excellent  Joseph  John 
Gurney,  of  the  society  of  Friends,  he  says,  "It  is  a 
very  sweet  work,  with  which  the  soul  is  -delighted  as 
with  marrow  and  fatness,"  and  adds,  "  We  ought  to 
be  grateful  that  there  are  some  servants  of  Christ 
who,  through  grace,  are  tall  enough  to  walk  over  the 
denominational  walls  which  men  have  placed  around 
them." 

In  a  letter  of  February,  1841,  Dr.  Edwards  records 
the  death  of  the  Hon.  WILLIAM  BARTLET,  the  princely 
donor  to  the  Theological  Seminary,  who  had  added 
to  his  other  gifts,  provision  for  the  salary  of  Dr.  Ed 
wards  in  the  presidency,  for  five  years  from  1836  to 
1841.  He  died  at  his  residence  in  Newburyport,  Feb 
ruary  8,  1841,  at  the  great  age  of  ninety-three  years. 
Besides  all  his  munificent  charities  while  he  lived,  he 
bequeathed,  chiefly  to  children  and  grandchildren, 
upwards  of  half  a  million  of  dollars.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-one  he  was  a  shoemaker,  and  he  was  strong 
and  vigorous  till  within  a  very  short  period  of  his 
death.  A  tribute  to  his  memory  was  delivered  at 
Andover  by  the  Rev.  Daniel  Dana,  D.  D.,  April  19, 
1841,  in  which,  after  referring  to  his  deep  interest  in 
the  benevolent  institutions  of  the  age,  which,  with 
other  objects  of  philanthropy,  received  his  liberal  sup 
port,  he  says, 

"It  is  a  singular  and  memorable  fact,  that  when, 
about  thirty  four  years  since,  several  opulent  and 


436  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

large-hearted  individuals  were  meditating  the  estab 
lishment  of  a  theological  seminary  in  this  place,  an 
assemblage  of  the  same  description,  in  a  distant  part 
of  the  county,  were^  without  any  mutual  knowledge 
or  communication,  engaged  in  a  design  entirely  simi 
lar.  When  the  respective  parties  became  acquainted 
with  each  other's  intentions,  a  most  interesting  ques 
tion  arose :  Would  the  cause  of  God  and  the  interests 
of  the  churches  be  best  promoted  by  a  separate  or  a 
united  organization?  The  question  received  a  long 
and  ample  discussion.  In  the  issue,  difficulties  van 
ished,  minor  differences  were  merged,  the  spirit  of 
union  and  of  mutual  concession  prevailed  ;  and  as  the 
result,  this  theological  institution  rose  into  existence 
amply  endowed,  and  powerfully  sustained.  The  foun 
ders  at  Andover,"  (Samuel  Abbott,  Esq.,  the  widow  of 
Lieutenant-governor  Samuel  Phillips,  and  Hon.  John 
Phillips,  Jr.,)  "  having  been  first  in  maturing  and  ar 
ranging  their  plan,  it  was  agreed  that  the  other  party 
should  unite  with  them  under  the  appellation  of  Asso 
ciate  Founders.  Messrs.  Brown  (of  Newburyport,)  and 
Norris  (of  Salem,)  made  each  a  donation  of  ten  thou 
sand  dollars ;  Mr.  Bartlet  the  same ;  adding,  at  the 
time,  another  ten  thousand,  and  soon  after  increasing 
his  subscription  by  a  similar  additional  sum.  These 
contributions,  so  liberal  and  ample,  were  but  a  mere 
introduction  to  subsequent  displays  of  his  liberality. 
To  this  liberality  we  owe  the  elegant  and  commodious 
chapel  in  which  we  are  now  convened.  To  this  we 
owe  a  spacious  and  convenient  hall  for  the  residence 
of  students.  To  this  we  owe  no  small  part  of  our 
select  and  invaluable  library.  Having  from  early 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  437 

time  adopted  the  Seminary  as  the  child  of  his  affec 
tions,  he  has  followed  it,  in  every  subsequent  stage, 
with  spontaneous  and  unintermitted  kindness,  crown 
ing  all  former  favors  by  a  very  liberal  provision  in 
his  last  testament." 

September  8,  1841,  Dr.  Edwards  preached  before 
the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign 
Missions,  in  Philadelphia,  his  published  sermon, 
"Christ,  the  Builder  of  the  Spiritual  Temple,"  from 
Zechariah  4:6,"  Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by 
my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts."  This  spiritual 
temple  is  the  church,  "  built  upon  the  foundation  of  the 
apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the 
chief  corner-stone."  "  It  is  to  be  composed  of  all  true 
believers  who  shall  ever  have  lived,  from  the  first 
morning  of  creation  to  the  last  moment  of  time.  They 
may  not  belong  to  the  same  denomination,  or  spend 
life  on  the  same  side  of  the  wall  which  they  have  set 
up  ;  but  if  they  believe  on  the  Son  of  God,  and  are  so 
joined  to  him  as  to  be  '  one  Spirit/  they  shall  form  a 
part  of  his  spiritual  temple.  Europeans,  Asiatics, 
Africans,  Indians — all,  of  every  age,  and  color,  and 
kindred,  and  people,  and  nation,  and  tongue,  who  be 
lieve  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  shall  thus  be  builded 
together  for  an  eternal  habitation  of  God  through  the 
Spirit." 

"The  greatness  of  the  work  which  it  was  necessary 
to  perform  to  lay  the  foundation — the  foundation  it 
self,"  the  Son  of  God,  the  brightness  of  the  Father's 
glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person — "  the  ma 
terials  out  of  which  the  temple  is  to  be  made,"  fallen 


438  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

and  apostate  man — "  and  the  object  for  which  it  is  to 
be  erected,"  to  make  known  "  the  manifold  wisdom  of 
God,  and  the  exceeding  riches  of  his  grace  in  his  kind 
ness  towards  men  through  Jesus  Christ" — all  show 
that  it  must  be  built,  not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but 
by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  of  hosts.  That  divine  Spirit 
has  chosen  to  work  by  blessing  his  own  truth  in  answer 
to  prayer,  and  has  commanded  his  followers  to  make 
known  that  truth  to  every  creature.  "The  grand 
business  of  every  one  is  to  embrace  the  gospel  himself 
as  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation,  and  exert  his 
influence  to  have  this  done  by  every  man,  woman, 
and  child  in  Christendom,  and  throughout  the  world. 
From  the  discharge  of  this  duty  no  man  can  be  ex 
cused.  Let  him  be  a  merchant,  a  manufacturer,  a 
mechanic,  or  a  farmer ;  a  professional  man,  a  man  of 
leisure,  or  a  man  of  business — whoever,  wherever, 
whatever  he  may  be,  he  is  bound  by  obligations  which 
he  can  never  throw  off,  to  go  himself,  or  assist  others 
to  go,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  all  people,  and  to  use 
his  influence  to  induce  all  to  embrace  it." 

Fired  with  this  theme,  when  the  members  of  the 
Seminary  reassembled,  he  solemnly  laid  before  them 
the  import  of  the  Saviour's  last  command,  in  its  prac 
tical  application  to  foreign  missions — a  command  de 
manding  not  prayer  only,  or  the  gift  of  money,  but  the 
gift  of  themselves  to  go  at  the  bidding  of  the  Lord. 
And  here  his  mind  reverted  to  Mills,  and  Hall,  and 
Richards,  and  Robbins,  his  companions  in  college, 
whose  consecration  of  themselves  to  missions,  in  the 
dark  period  thirty  years  before,  had  been  blessed  in 
the  cheering  results  then  witnessed.  He  records  that 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  439 

while  the  best  pastors  who  had  long  been  praying  that 
the  gospel  might  be  preached  to  the  heathen,  were 
advising  the  young  men  "  to  give  up  such  visionary 
projects"  one  of  the  little  band  wrote  to  another  as 
follows : 

'"I  trust  that  our  brethren  will  stand  at  their 
several  posts,  determined,  God  helping  them,  to  show 
themselves  men.  Perhaps  the  fathers  will  soon  arise, 
and  take  the  business  into  their  own  hands.  But 
should  they  hesitate,  let  us  be  prepared  to  go  for 
ward,  trusting  to  that  G-od  who  hath  said,  '  Lo,  I  am 
with  you  alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world.7  0  that 
we  could  enter  at  a  thousand  gates  ',  that  every  limb  were 
a  tongue,  and  every  tongue  a  trumpet,  to  spread  the  gos 
pel  sound.  Let  us,  my  dear  brother,  rely  with  im 
plicit  confidence  upon  those  great  eternal  precious 
promises  contained  in  the  word  of  God-:  'There  is  no 
man  that  hath  left  house,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or 
father,  or  mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or  lands,  for 
my  sake  and  the  gospel's,  but  he  shall  receive  a  hun 
dred-fold,  now  in  this  time,  with  persecutions  ;  and  in 
the  world  to  come,  eternal  life.'  Be  strong  therefore, 
and  let  not  your  hands  be  weak,  for  your  work  shall 
be  rewarded. 

" '  Come  then,  and,  added  to  thy  many  crowns, 
Receive  yet  one,  the  crown  of  all  the  earth, 
Thou,  who  alone  art  worthy ;  it  was  thine 
By  ancient  covenant  e'er  nature's  birth ; 
And  thou  hast  made  it  thine,  by  purchase,  since, 
And  overpaid  its  value  with  thy  blood.' " 

"Such  were  the  feelings  of  four  young  men  in 
1809.  Their  reliance  was  on  God,  and  their  deter 
mination  was,  that,  let  others  do  as  they  might,  they 


440  .REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

would  attempt  in  this  matter  to  obey  Christ,  and  do 
what  they  could  to  cause  the  gospel  of  his  salvation  to 
be  preached  to  every  creature.  They  resolved,  if  they 
could,  to  form  an  association  in  this  country  to  assist 
them.  And  if  they  could  not,  to  go  to  some  other 
country  and  form  one  there,  if  they  could.  And  if 
they  could  not  do  this,  then  to  work  their  way  to 
some  portion  of  the  heathen  world,  and  make  known 
to  the  dying  people,  as  far  as  they  could, '  the  unsearch 
able  riches  of  Christ.'  This  is  the  spirit  which  God  de 
lights  to  bless." 

January  27, 1842,  he  wrote  to  relatives  in  Boston, 
who  had  kindly  supported  his  second  son  throughout 
his  college  course,  informing  them  that  the  son  had 
entered  the  Theological  Seminary,  and  requesting 
them  to  procure  a  copy  of  "  The  Way  of  Life"  to  be 
presented  to  him  by  his  sister.  He  adds : 

"  J •  appears  to  be  in  fine  health ;  he  entered 

immediately  into  the  Junior  class,  and  appears  to  be 
devoted  to  his  studies.  And  if  the  Lord  shall  grant 
him  the  teaching  of  his  Spirit,  I  cannot  but  hope  that 
your  many  labors  and  prayers  and  sacrifices  for  him, 
may  not  be  in  vain  in  the  Lord ;  but  may,  through  his 
rich  abounding  grace,  redound  to  his  glory,  to  the 
honor  of  that  Saviour  to  whom  we  owe  all  our  friends, 
all  our  comforts,  and  all  our  hopes ;  and  to  whom  we 
shall  be  indebted  for  all,  for  ever.  It  is  good  to  serve 
him ;  and  in  proportion  as  our  young  ministers,  and 
old  ones  too,  learn  to  follow  him,  they  will  not  walk 
in  darkness,  but  have  the  '  light  of  life  ;'  a  light  com 
pared  with  which,  the  light  of  reason,  of  learning  and 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  441 

science,  of  wealth  and  power,  of  reputation  and  in 
fluence  and  popularity  merely,  are  as  that  of  the  glow 
worm  compared  with  the  light  of  the  sun.  It  is  a 
light  from  the  Sun  of  righteousness,  which  causes  those 
who  receive  and  enjoy  it,  not  only  to  have  light,  but 
to  become  light  in  the  Lord." 

To  his  youngest  daughter,  who  was  with  friends 
in  Boston,  where  were  some  special  indications  of  the 
presence  of  the  Spirit,  he  wrote,  March  17,  1842,  "  We 
are  willing  that  you  should  stay ;  hoping  that  your 
great  desire  is  to  become  reconciled  to  God,  and  be 
prepared  to  serve  him.  He  is  good ;  he  has  been  very 
kind,  all  your  days,  to  you ;  and  it  is  right  that  you 
should,  without  delay,  serve  him.  For  this  end,  trust 
not  to  yourself,  or  to  ministers,  or  Christian  friends, 
as  they  cannot  help  you,  except  as  Jesus  Christ  shall, 
by  his  Spirit,  use  them  for  this  purpose.  He  is  every 
where  present,  and  he  can  do  for  you  what  you  need. 
Go  directly  to  him,  tell  him  all  your  unworthiness  and 
all  your  wants ;  and  that  he  must  save  you,  or  you 
must  perish.  Tell  him  how  you  feel,  and  what  you 
need,  remembering  that  he  would  be  just,  if  he  should 
show  you  no  mercy,  but  leave  you,  on  account  of  your 
sins,  to  perish  ;  and  yet,  that  he  died  to  save  you ;  and 
invites  you,  guilty  and  unworthy  as  you  are,  to  put 
your  trust  in  him.  He  is  all  our  hope,  and  we  are 
under  everlasting  obligations  to  him  for  dying  in  our 
stead,  that  God  might  be  just,  and  yet  sanctify  and 
save  with  an  everlasting  salvation  all  who  trust  in 
him." 

A  few  months  later,  under  her  father's  kind  and 
faithful  counsel,  this  daughter  publicly  professed 

19* 


442  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

Christ,  and  joined  herself  to  his  people.  Having  con 
nected  herself  with  Bradford  academy,  an  institution 
identified  with  the  early  history  of  Mrs.  Ann  H.  Jud- 
son  and  Harriet  Newell,  her  father  wrote  to  her, 
"Daily  read  the  Bible,  and  ask  God  to  teach  you  by 
his  Spirit  all  his  holy  will.  Endeavor  in  all  things 
to  set  an  example  which  is  lovely  and  will  benefit  all 
who  shall  follow  it.  Endeavor  to  keep  the  Sabbath- 
day  holy  from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  and  to  do  to 
others  as  you  ought  to  wish  they  should  do  to  you. 
Trust  in  Jesus  Christ  for  all  that  you  need,  and  strive 
to  imitate  him,  that  you  may  find  rest  to  your  soul. 
Cultivate  cheerfulness  and  piety  as  the  balm  of  human 
life,  which  is  nourished  and  increased  by  doing  good 
to  all." 

In  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Edwards'  brother  in  New  York, 
April  25,  1842,  he  announces  his  retiring  from  the 
presidency :  "  When  I  accepted  the  appointment  of 
President  of  the  Theological  Seminary,  provision  was 
made  for  my  support  for  only  five  years,  and  I  knew 
that  I  might  be  liable  to  close  my  connection  with 
the  institution  at  the  close  of  that  time.  Neverthe 
less,  I  thought  it  best  to  accept  the  appointment,  even 
if  that  should  be  the  case.  The  five  years  closed  last 
September.  The  trustees  then  appointed  a  committee 
to  see  if  means  could  be  appropriated  to  my  support 
from  funds  which  we  now  have.  But  they  find  that 
they  cannot  do  it  without  taking  them  away  from 
other  objects,  from -which  none  of  us  wish  to  take 
them,  and  I  have  of  course  resigned  my  office  as  pres 
ident,  still  retaining  that  of  trustee  of  the  institution. 

"  I  am  this  day  fifty-five  years  old.     May  the  Lord 


PRESIDENCY  IN  THE  SEMINARY.  443 

make  me  truly  grateful  for  all  his  kindness,  and  teach 
me  evermore  to  rejoice  in  him.  I  hope  he  will  open 
some  door  of  usefulness  for  me,  and  provide  in  kind 
ness  for  my  family.  He  has  hitherto  been  unspeaka 
bly  kind,  and  I  cannot  but  hope  that  he  will  give  me 
a  heart  to  trust  in  him,  and  to  do  his  will." 

Many  worthy  and  successful  pastors,  and  others 
in  stations  of  eminent  usefulness  in  the  church  of  God, 
bear  a  grateful  testimony  to  the  hallowed  and  abiding- 
influence  exerted  by  Dr.  Edwards  upon  their  own 
minds  during  his  presidency — an  influence  which  they 
value  the  more  as  they  have  become  acquainted  with 
the  practical  wants  of  men,  and  the  power  of  the  sim 
ple  gospel  of  Christ  as  the  remedy  for  sin  and  woe. 
His  influence  was  practical  and  biblical,  rather  than 
theoretic,  literary,  or  scholastic ;  and  was  enforced  by 
a  living  example  of  what  the  man  of  God  should  be. 
His  prayers  and  other  devotional  exercises  are  remem 
bered  as  breathing  "  an  unction  from  the  Holy  One ;" 
his  brief  practical  expositions  of  the  Bible  as  refresh 
ing  to  the  spirit  that  loved  to  draw  divine  instruction 
from  the  inspired  fountains  ;  and  his  kind  counsels  as 
indicating  that  he  had*  himself  been  taught  of  God, 
and  as  guiding  to  the  course  of  true  wisdom  and  use 
fulness.  Often  has  the  remark  been  made,  that  all  he 
did  in  his  presidency  for  the  best  good  of  individuals 
brought  into  connection  with  him,  and  for  the  highest 
spiritual  interests  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  will  never 
be  fully  appreciated  till  the  fruits  into  which  it  ripen 
ed  shall  be  garnered  in  a  brighter  world. 

An  esteemed  pastor,  who  was  a  member  of  the 
seminary,  says,  "  His  counsels  to  the  young  men  about 


444  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

to  enter  the  ministry,  in  the  weekly  conference,  and 
on  other  occasions,  were  very  valuable  ;  and  his  kind, 
peaceful,  evangelical  influence  was  felt  on  the  semi 
nary,  and  through  the  academies,  in  nameless  ways. 
I  have  a  distinct  impression  of  the  singular  appropri 
ateness  and  force  with  which  he  commented  on  the 
passages  of  Scripture  read  at  the  devotional  exercises 
of  the  seminary.  He  seemed  neither  to  say  too  much 
nor  too  little ;  his  words  were  '  fitly  spoken.'  He  was 
preeminent  as  a  counsellor.  His  study  was  the  resort 
of  students  perplexed  and  'troubled  about  many 
things/  and  he  was  the  father  of  them  all." 

Another,  after  expressing  a  wish  that  he  could 
have  acted  as  Professor  of  Pastoral  Theology,  and 
from  the  professional  chair  "  imparted  to  the  students 
his  varied  experience  and  wise  counsels  respecting 
pastoral  duties,"  says,  "He  exerted  a  powerful  and 
beneficial  influence,  of  which  no  record  can  be  made. 
Among  the  eminent  men  whom  I  gratefully  remember 
as  my  teachers,  there  is  not  one  whom  I  remember 
with  more  gratitude  than  Dr.  Edwards.  It  is  good 
to  be  permitted  even  to  know  such  a  man,  and  to  love 
him." 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  445 


CHAPTER  XI. 

HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SANCTIFICATION  OF  THE 
SABBATH. 

SEVEN  YEARS— 1842-1849. 

DR.  EDWARDS  having  resigned  the  presidency  of 
the  Theological  Seminary,  April  19,  1842,  we  mark 
the  workings  of  his  mind  on  the  question,  WHAT  GOD 
WOULD  NOW  HAVE  HIM  DO  ;  and  his  humbly  seeking 
the  guidance  of  the  word,  the  providence,  and  the  Spirit 
of  God,  which  at  length  was  manifestly  imparted. 

April  26,  he  wrote  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Brigham,  Sec 
retary  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  a  letter  of  in 
quiry  touching  a  department  of  usefulness  to  which 
his  thoughts  had  long  and  often  been  turned: 

"  For  a  number  of  years,  when  reading  the  Bible, 
and  finding  it  to  be  sweeter  than  honey  or  even  the 
honey-comb,  and  that  a  knowledge  of  it  is  more  to  be 
desired  than  gold  or  evening  gold,  and  that  in  under 
standing,  believing,  and  obeying  it,  there  is  indeed 
a  great  reward,  I  have  had  many  thoughts  floating 
about  my  mind  as  to  the  best  mode,  in  the  least  time, 
of  giving  it  to  all  who  can  read,  and  who  would  not 
otherwise  receive  it.  You  may  perhaps  recollect  a 
letter  which  I  wrote  to  you  from  Saratoga  thirteen 
or  fourteen  years  ago.  What  it  was  I  do  not  now 
distinctly  recollect;  but  I  remember  that  it  was  de 
signed,  should  the  Lord  give  opportunity,  to  open  the 
way  for  some  further  communications  with  regard  to 


446  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

this  subject.  But  other  objects  intervened,  and  it  has 
rested  to  the  present  time.  What  should  you  think 
of  a  systematic,  united,  general,  and  persevering  effort, 
to  induce  each  individual  who  has  the  Bible,  DAILY  to  read 
some  portion  of  it;  and  to  do  something  to  extend  it,  IN 
THE  LEAST  POSSIBLE  TIME,  to  every  individual  who  can 
read,  and  who  would  not  otherwise  obtain  it?  And 
should  you  be  disposed,  without  any  noise,  to  consult 
further  with  regard  to  it;  or  are  your  plans  now  as 
well  constructed,  and  in  as  general,  vigorous,  and  effi 
cacious  operation  as  in  the  present  imperfect  state  of 
things  they  probably  can  be  ?" 

To  this  letter  Dr.  Brigham  replied,  May  4,  that  it 
had  awakened  much  interest ;  that  "  the  Board  felt 
more  and  more  the  importance,  not  only  of  distributing 
a  greater  number  of  Bibles,  but  of  having  them  more 
generally  and  faithfully  read;"  that  "after  consulting- 
two  committees,  of  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  Milnor  and 
the  Rev.  Dr.  DeWitt  were  chairmen,  it  was  resolved 
to  invite  him  to  give  an  address  at  the  Society's  anni 
versary  to  be  held  on  the  12th  instant,  embodying  all 
the  wisdom  he  had  on  the  subject  of  the  universal  dis 
tribution  and  perusal  of  the  word  of  God." 

On  the  day  in  which  Dr.  Edwards  wrote  the  above 
note  to  the  Bible  Society,  the  secretaries  of  the  Amer 
ican  Tract  Society  at  New  York  addressed  him,  inquir 
ing  "  if  he  would  listen  to  any  proposition  that  Society 
could  make  for  gaining  his  cooperation  more  immedi 
ately  in  the  Tract  department  of  benevolence ;"  to 
which  he  replied,  May  10,  that  he  was  not  then  pre 
pared  to  decide  with  regard  to  his  future  course ;  that 
he  "did  not  intend  to  be  idle,  but  to  keep  his  eyes  and  ears 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE   SABBATH.  447 

open,  and  take  suitable  measures  to  ascertain  the  Witt  of 
God,  and  in  dependence  on  him,  as  fast  as  he  karned  his 
will,  to  attempt  to  do  it." 

Near  the  close  of  the  month,  during  the  anniver 
sary  week  in  Boston,  he  invited  the  compiler  to  a 
walk  on  the  Common,  and  stated  that  his  attention 
had  been  especially  directed  to  three  objects — TEM 
PERANCE,  the  BIBLE,  and  the  SABBATH.  To  the  first 
he  had  devoted  seven  years ;  the  other  two  were  now 
more  especially  before  him,  and  he  wished  to  see 
clearly  to  which  of  the  two  God  called  him  to  conse 
crate  himself. 

While  these  subjects  were  under  consideration, 
the  committee  of  the  American  Temperance  Society, 
June  4,  1842,  reappointed  him  for  the  service  of  that 
Society,  though  with  the  understanding,  that  should 
he  feel  that  he  was  called  to  combine  with  it  or  even 
relinquish  it  for  labors  in  behalf  of  the  Sabbath  or 
any  other  kindred  object,  he  should  be  at  liberty  to 
follow  what  he  might  believe  to  be  the  indications  of 
the  divine  will.  And  here  we  have  brief  memoranda 
from  his  own  pen  for  a  few  days,  in  a  little  book  for 
the  pocket,  chiefly  filled  with  business  items  of  the 
work  on  which  he  was  to  enter. 

"JUNE  13,  1842.  On  the  4th  inst.  I  received  an 
appointment  from  the  Executive  Committee  of  the 
American  Temperance  Society,  and  on  the  sixth  I  ac 
cepted  the  appointment.  During  the  week  I  prepared 
two  communications  for  the  press :  one  on  the  nature, 
author,  object,  progress,  and  results  of  the  Temperance 
movement,  and  the  duties  of  the  friends  of  God  and 
man  with  regard  to  it ;  the  other  an  appeal  to  minis- 


448  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

ters  of  the  gospel  in  the  state,  with  reference  to  the 
Massachusetts  Temperance  Union. 

"  To-day  I  undertake  to  prepare  a  discourse,  to  be 
preached  as  I  may  have  opportunity,  on  Psalm  24  : 1 : 
'  The  earth  is  the  Lord's,  and  the  fulness  thereof;  the 
world,  and  they  that  dwell  therein;'  designed  to  make  the 
impression  upon  my  own  mind  and  the  minds  of  others, 
that  GOD  is  THE  OWNER  OF  ALL  THINGS  ;  that  men  are 
and  can  be  only  stewards,  and  that  to  be  honest  they 
must  be  disposed  to  render  Him  his  due  ;  and  designed 
to  point  out  to  all  people  who  may  hear  it,  what  hon 
esty  requires. 

"  May  the  Lord  guide  me  by  his  Spirit,  and  make 
me  instrumental  of  honoring  him,  and  doing  the  high 
est  good  of  which  I  am  capable  to  the  children  of 
men.  I  feel,  or  think  I  feel,  more  and  more  my  con 
stant  need  of  his  presence  and  blessing ;  and  that  the 
entrance  of  his  word,  accompanied  by  his  Spirit,  or  the 
Spirit  speaking  by  the  word,  giveth  light ;  it  giveth  un 
derstanding  to  the  simple ;  it  indeed  shineth  as  the 
day.  And  the  amount  of  light  which  He,  through  his 
truth,  can  communicate  at  once  on  spiritual  subjects,  is 
truly  wonderful ;  so  that  through  Him,  as  our  day  is, 
not  only  our  strength,  but  also  our  light,  our  consola 
tion,  and  all  other  needed  blessings,  shall  also  be. 
'Trust  in  the  Lord/  therefore,  'with  all  thy  heart, 
and  lean  not  to  thine  own  understanding.  In  all  thy 
ways  acknowledge  him,  and  he  shall  direct  thy  paths. 
Be  careful/  over-anxious,  '  for  nothing ;  but  in  every 
thing  by  prayer  and  supplication  let  your  requests  be 
made  known  to  God.  And  the  peace  of  God,  which 
passeth  all  understanding,  shall  keep  your  mind  and 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  449 

heart  through  Christ  Jesus.'  May  I  ever  feel  this  and 
act  accordingly,  and  so  seek  Thee,  thou  source  and 
fountain  of  light  and  love,  wisdom,  strength,  and  con 
solation,  that  I  shall  not  want  any  good  thing. 

"  Afternoon.  Had  several  hours  very  interesting 
conversation  with  a  friend  on  the  means  of  the  moral 
renovation  of  this  world ;  particularly  the  promotion 
of  Temperance,  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  and  the 
proper  treatment  of  the  Bible;  and  concerning  God 
as  the  author,  Christ  as  the  foundation,  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  the  producer,  and  faith  and  love  and  Chris 
tian  effort  as  the  means,  of  all  good  to  the  children 
of  men.  May  the  Lord  bless  it  to  him  and  to  me, 
and  make  it  the  means  of  great  good  to  millions  for 
ever." 

On  the  19th  he  preached  the  sermon  on  Psalm 
24 : 1,  in  Newburyport,  and  then  proceeded  to  Port 
land,  where  on  the  21st  he  says,  "I  addressed  the 
Maine  Conference  on  the  subject  of  Temperance,  the 
Sabbath,  and  the  Bible.  Had  an  interesting  and  very 
pleasant  time.  The  Lord  seemed  to  be  there. 

"  At  seven  p.  M.  took  the  boat  for  Boston.  Arrived 
fifteen  minutes  too  late  to  take  the  cars  for  Hartford, 
and  soon  saw,  or  thought  I  saw,  the  goodness  of  God 
in  my  disappointment.  May  I  always  rejoice  in  his 
will,  and  say,  not  in  words  merely,  but  in  feeling  and 
conduct,  'Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done.'  Left  at 
three  P.  M.  and  lodged  at  the  Exchange,  (Hartford,) 
where  the  proprietor  keeps  a  Bible  in  each  lodging- 
room,  and  does  not  sell  the  drunkard's  poison  to  be 
drunk  even  by  sober  men.  This  is  as  it  should  be, 
and  I  trust  soon  will  be  over  all  the  earth,  should  the 


450  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

Bible  go  everywhere,  and  be  understood,  believed,  and 
obeyed  by  every  soul. 

"  22d,  (at  the  Exchange  hotel  in  Hartford,)  thought 
this  morning  of  forming,  or  attempting  to  form,  an 
AMERICAN  AND  FOREIGN  BIBLICAL  ASSOCIATION,  the 
object  of  which  shall  be  to  induce  every  person  who 
cannot  read,  to  learn  to  read ;  every  person  who  can 
read,  and  is  destitute,  to  supply  himself  with  a  Bible, 
daily  to  read  some  portion  of  it,  and  seek  the  teaching 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  he  may  understand,  believe, 
and  obey  it. 

"23d,  arrived  at  Wether sfield  just  in  time  to  pro 
cure  from  the  General  Association  of  Connecticut  the 
passage  of  three  resolutions  on  Temperance,  the  Sabbath, 
and  the  Bible,  the  same  as  were  passed  on  the  21st,  by 
the  General  Association  of  Maine.  I  would  devoutly 
acknowledge  the  goodness  of  God  in  bringing  me  here 
at  the  hour,  and  inducing  the  Association  to  give  the 
resolution  so  favorable  a  reception.  May  he  help 
me  henceforward  to  notice  his  hand,  his  kindness  and 
love  in  all  things,  and  rejoice  evermore  in  him  and 
his  holy  will,  so  that  I  may  pray  without  ceasing,  and 
in  every  thing  give  thanks,  because  this  is  the  will  of 
God.  Help  me,  0  God,  to  trust  in  thee  at  all  times, 
and  to  pour  out  my  heart  before  th.ee,  and  in  all  my 
ways  so  to  acknowledge  thee  that  thou  mayest  in  all 
things  direct  my  paths.  Give  me  clear  and  extended 
discernment,  sound  judgment,  a  pure  and  holy  heart, 
an  ardent  thirst  after  knowledge,  especially  a  know 
ledge  of  the  'only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom 
thou  hast  sent ;'  an  ardent  love  to  men,  and  desire  for 
their  highest  good ;  candor  and  kindness  in  view  of 


USIVEB 

HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  451 

their  failings,  and  compassion  in  view  of  their  sins ; 
a  deep  abhorrence  of  every  wrong  thing  ;  a  rejoicing 
in  others'  prosperity,  in  their  increasing  influence,  and 
ability  and  disposition  to  do  good;  and  a  heart  to 
render  to  thee  at  all  times  all  the  glory.  Open  the 
way,  I  beseech  thee,  0  Lord,  for  the  sake  of  thy  Son, 
for  all  people  soon  to  bow  to  him  and  own  him  as 
Lord,  to  thy  glory. 

"  25th,  reached  Boston,  where  I  spent  the  Sabbath. 

"27th,  went  to  Andover  and  formed  the  Sabbath 
Association. 

"  29th,  'went  to  Westborough,  and  attended  the 
General  Association  of  Massachusetts,  who  adopted 
the  resolutions  on  Temperance,  the  Sabbath,  and  the 
Bible." 

On  the  31st  he  is  at  New  Haven  raising  funds  for 
the  Sabbath  cause ;  then  at  Saratoga  and  at  Mr.  Dela- 
van's  in  Ballston,  then  at  Utica,  then  at  Rochester  at 
an  interesting  Sabbath  Convention;  then  at  Geneva, 
Auburn,  Albany,  Troy ;  then  at  Boston  successfully 
conferring  with  gentlemen  as  to  providing  funds, 
and  then  in  other  parts  of  New  England,  and  we  find 
him  in  the  midst  of  a  powerful  agency  .for  the  cause  of 
THE  SABBATH,  to  which  he  devoted  seven  years  of  his 
public  life. 

As  in  the  Temperance  reformation,  when  he  was 
brought  as  it  were  into  contact  with  the  millions  of  men, 
in  forming  and  executing  plans  of  which  the  responsi 
bility  rested  mainly  on  himself,  he  showed  a  giant 
power  which  none  before  knew  that  God  had  given 
him,  we  now  seem  to  feel  the  renewed  pulsations  of  his 
great  and  warm  heart,  as  he  launches  forth  among  the 


452  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

works  and  people  of  God,  with  the  grand  aim  of  in 
ducing  all  men  to  pause  on  the  holy  Sabbath,  and  hear 
the  voice  of  God  speaking  to  them  the  words  of  eternal 
life. 

He  had  labored  nearly  one  year,  when,  on  the  4th 
of  April,  1843,  the  AMERICAN  AND  FOREIGN  SABBATH 
UNION  was  organized  in  Boston :  Chief  Justice  Will 
iams,  of  Connecticut,  President;  Dr.  Edwards,  Sec 
retary  ;  and  Messrs.  John  Tappan,  Moses  Grant,  Ben 
jamin  Smith,  Jacob  Sleeper,  and  Benjamin  Howard, 
Executive  Committee. 

On  the  17th  April,  1844,  their  first  anniversary 
was  held,  when  we  have  a  summary  record  of  the 
labors  of  Dr.  Edwards  for  nearly  two  years. 

"  The  Secretary  of  this  Union  has  visited  ten  dif 
ferent  states,  and  travelled  about  twelve  thousand 
miles."  He  has  generally  preached,  or  delivered  pub 
lic  addresses,  two  or  three  times  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
often  during  the  week ;  he  has  attended  five  general 
Sabbath  conventions,  and  addressed  a  great  number 
of  all  classes  of  people.  "These  conventions  have 
been  numerously  attended,  and  with  great  unanimity 
have  expressed-  and  published  their  views  with  regard 
to  the  importance  of  the  Sabbath,  and  the  benefits 
which  would  result  to  individuals  and  to  the  commu 
nity  from  its  universal  observance. 

"  He  has  also  attended  the  meetings  of  twenty-five 
ecclesiastical  bodies  of  various  denominations,  has 
addressed  personally  more  than  thirteen  hundred  minis 
ters  of  the  gospel  and  several  hundred  more  by  letter, 
procured  the  passage  of  numerous  resolutions  expres 
sive  of  their  views  of  the  divine  authority  and  per- 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SA.BBATH.  453 

petual  obligation  of  the  Sabbath,  and  has  engaged 
many  to  preach  on  the  subject,  and  in  the  various 
ways  in  their  power  to  disseminate  a  knowledge  of  the 
reasons  why  all  men  should  remember  that  day  and 
keep  it  holy.  He  has  also  visited  many  colleges  and 
seminaries,  and  addressed  the  students  on  the  impor 
tance  of  the  Sabbath,  as  a  day  of  rest  from  their  secu 
lar  pursuits,  and  of  special  devotion  to  spiritual  and 
eternal  concerns.  Wherever  he  has  gone,  he  has  been 
welcomed,  and  the  subject  of  the  Sabbath  has  been 
treated  with  the  most  respectful  attention.  Many 
distinguished  men  have  expressed  their  conviction  of 
its  great  importance  to  all  the  interests  and  prospects 
of  our  country ;  and  applications  for  the  services  of 
the  Secretary  have  been  much  more  numerous  than  he 
could  comply  with.  He  has  also  published  numerous 
articles  in  various  periodicals,  which  have  been  exten 
sively  copied  and  circulated.  Through  his  efforts  and 
those  of  others,  an  increased  attention  has  been  awak 
ened,  and  in  many  places  a  great  change  in  sentiment 
and  practice  is  taking  place  with  regard  to  this  subject. 
"  The  transportation  of  the  mails  on  the  Sabbath 
has,  on  numerous  routes,  been  discontinued  •  and  stage 
coaches,  steam- boats,  rail-cars,  and  canal-boats  have, 
in  many  cases,  ceased  to  run  on  that  day.  Stockhold 
ers,  directors,  distinguished  merchants  and  civilians, 
have  expressed  their  conviction,  that,  should  this  be 
the  case  universally,  it  would  greatly  promote  the 
welfare  of  all.  The  number  of  those  who  go,  or  send 
to  the  post-office,  who  are  disposed  to  labor,  or  engage 
in  secular  business,  travelling,  or  amusement  on  the 
Sabbath,  is  diminishing ;  and  the  number  increasing 


454  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

who  are  disposed  to  attend  the  public  worship  of 
God.  Sabbath-breaking  is  becoming  more  and  more 
disreputable,  and  is  viewed  by  increasing  numbers,  as 
evidence  of  a  low,  reckless,  and  vicious  mind.  The 
conviction  is  extending  that  it  is  not  only  morally 
wrong,  but  is  unprofitable  and  dangerous.  And 
should  all  the  facts  with  regard  to  this  subject  be 
known,  and  duly  appreciated,  that  conviction,  we 
believe,  would  become  universal. 

"Laborers,  in  many  cases,  refuse  to  work  on  the 
Sabbath.  They  view  it,  as  it  actually  is,  a  degrada 
tion  to  be  thus  singled  out  from  the  rest  of  the  com 
munity,  and  obliged  to  labor  when  others  are  at  rest. 
They  find  it  to  be  hurtful  to  themselves  and  their 
families.  It  injures  their  health,  corrupts  their  morals, 
and  increases  the  danger  of  their  being  abandoned  to 
infamy  and  ruin.  Some  who,  in  consequence  of  refus 
ing  to  labor  on  the  Sabbath,  had  been  dismissed  from 
their  employments,  have  afterwards  been  sought  for 
and  employed  again,  and  warmly  commended  for  their 
attachment  to  principle,  and  for  their  fidelity  and  suc 
cess  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties. 

"  There  is  a  growing  conviction,  founded  upon  ex 
perience  and  observation,  that  property  and  life  are 
more  safe  under  the  care  of  those  who  keep  the  Sab 
bath,  than  under  the  care  of  those  who  violate  it  •  and 
that  the  one  class  are  more  likely  to  be  blessed  and 
to  be  a  blessing,  even  in  this  world,  than  the  other. 
As  principles  and  facts  become  known,  all  see  new 
evidence  that  '  the  Sabbath  was  made  for  man/  and 
that  in  the  keeping  of  it,  according  to  the  will  of  God, 
there  is  great  reward." 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE,  SABBATH.  455 

The  FIRST  of  the  well-known  and  still  widely  cir 
culated  PERMANENT  SABBATH  DOCUMENTS,  prepared  by 
Dr.  Edwards,  had  now  been  issued:  exhibiting  the 
ends  for  which  the  Sabbath  was  appointed ;  the  rea 
sons  why  it  should  be  kept ;  the  benefits  of  observing 
it ;  and  the  evils  which,  by  laws  that  no  one  can  an 
nul  or  evade,  must  come  upon  those  who  profane  it. 
The  Sabbath,  with  its  attendant  means  of  grace,  is 
presented  as  "  the  great  institution  of  Jehovah  for  com 
municating,  preserving,  and  rendering  practically  effi 
cacious  the  knowledge  of  himself,  as  the  Creator,  Pre 
server,  Redeemer,  Benefactor,  Owner,  Governor,  and 
Judge  of  men.  It  is  the  institution  which  he  appointed, 
and  which  he  blesses  for  that  purpose.  And  so  effica 
cious  is  it  for  that  end,  that  no  people  who  have  con 
tinued  to  observe  it  according  to  his  will,  have  ever 
lost  the  knowledge  of  the  one  only  living  and  true 
God,  or  ceased  publicly  to  serve  and  adore  him.  And 
had  all  people  continued  from  the  beginning  to  ob 
serve  it,  they  had  in  all  ages  been  worshippers  of  Je 
hovah,  and  idolatry  never  have  been  practised  upon 
the  earth." 

At  the  creation  God  established  the  Sabbath  for 
the  race  of  man,  and  ratified  it  by  his  own  high  and 
holy  example  in  resting  on  the  seventh  day.  "  Time 
itself  was  to  be  divided,  not  merely  into  days,  or 
months,  or  years,  or  into  any  periods  measured  by  the 
revolutions  of  the  earth  or  the  heavenly  bodies,  but 
into  weeks — periods  of  seven  days  ;  six  for  labor,  and 
one  for  rest  and  special  devotion  to  spiritual  things. 
This  division  of  time,  measured  by  the  conduct  and 
will  of  God,  and  by  the  capacities  and  wants  of  men, 


456  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS.  D.  D. 

was  to  be,  in  all  ages  and  all  countries,  a  sign  of  tlie 
covenant  between  God  and  his  people ;  an  emblem 
and  a  foretaste  of  the  rest  which  remaineth  for  them, 
and  a  special  season  of  preparation  for  its  eternal 
joys. 

"  For  this  reason,  Jehovah  not  only  kept  it  himself, 
but  he  sanctified  it,  or  set  it  apart  from  other  days  for 
this  special  purpose.  He  also  blessed  it,  and  with 
such  a  fulness  of  blessings,  that  they  flow  out  to  those 
who  keep  it,  not  only  on  that  day,  but  through  all 
the  other  days  of  the  week.  They  are  blessed  in  their 
bodies  and  souls,  in  their  going  out  and  their  coming 
in,  and  in  all  their  ways." 

"  When,  on  the  morning  of  that  blessed  day,  the 
sun  rises  and  shines  as  brightly  as  on  other  days,  the 
oxen  graze  as  peacefully,  the  lambs  skip  as  briskly, 
and  the  birds  sing  as  sweetly — yet  no  man  goes  forth 
to  his  labor,  no  shop-door  or  window  opens,  no  wheel 
rattles  on  the  pavement,  or  vessel  leaves  the  harbor, 
no  stage-coach  or  canal-boat  runs,  no  whistling  or 
rumbling  is  heard  on  the  railroad,  or  bustle  is  wit 
nessed  in  any  department  of  secular  business,  but  uni 
versal  stillness  reigns  throughout  creation,  except  as 
broken  by  the  voice  of  prayer  and  praise  ascending 
to  its  Author :  that  stillness  is  the  voice  of  God  to  t/ie 
moral  nature  of  man — his  still,  small,  but  all-pervading 
and  efficacious  voice,  proclaiming  his  existence,  his 
character,  and  his  will." 

"  When  the  day  comes,  every  man  has  a  right  to 
keep  it  holy  to  the  Lord.  This  is  the  right  of  the 
poor,  as  really  as  of  the  rich ;  of  servants,  as  well  as 
of  masters.  All  have  a  right  to  labor  six  days  in  a 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  457 

week,  because  God  has  given  it.  All  have  a  right  to 
rest  one  day  in  seven,  because  God  has  given  that. 
This  right  comes  from  God.  Like  the  right  to  live, 
to  see  the  sun,  and  breathe  the  air,  it  vests  in  human 
ity,  and  is  inalienable.  No  human  government  gave  it, 
and  no  human  government,  without  deep  injustice,  can 
take  it  away.  There  is  not  a  laborer  on  the  canal  or 
railroad,  in  the  manufactory  or  workshop,  or  in  any 
department  of  worldly  business,  who  has  not  this 
right." 

And  not  only  the  law  written  on  tables  of  stone, 
but  "  another  law  written  by  the  finger  of  God  on  the 
nature  of  man  and  beast"  requires  this.  " They  were 
not  made  for  seven  days'  labor  in  a  week,  and  they 
cannot  endure  it,  without  lessening  their  health  and 
shortening  their  lives  :"  a  principle  which  he  supports 
by  the  most  reliable  and  abundant  testimony,  showing 
that  "  the  policy  which  seeks  to  gain  by  the  violation 
of  the  laws  which  infinite  wisdom  and  goodness  have 
established,  is  selfish,  short-sighted,  and  defeats  its 
own  end." 

The  SECOND  Permanent  Sabbath  Document,  issued 
the  next  year,  considers  the  change  from  the  seventh  to 
the  first  day  of  the  week.  The  original  institution  was 
the  setting  apart  of  one  day  in  seven  for  the  holy  rest ; 
and  we  have  simply  to  learn  the  will  of  God  as  to 
which  day  of  the  week  it  shall  be.  The  seventh  day 
was  originally  observed  in  commemoration  of  Jeho 
vah's  resting  from  the  work  of  creation;  the  first  day 
is  observed  in  commemoration  of  the  greater  work  of 
redemption,  as  shown  in  the  New  Testament. 

Edward*  20 


458  REV.   JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

"No  sooner  does  Jehovah  appear  as  '  God  manifest 
in  the  flesh/  than  suddenly  there  is  with  the  angels  a 
multitude  of  the  heavenly  hosts,  crying,  '  GLORY  TO 
GOD  IN  THE  HIGHEST.'  Why  ?  Because  that  in  six  days 
he  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth  ?  No  j  not  that 
merely,  or  principally;  but  because  there  is  'peace 
on  earth,  good-will  to  men/  through  those  wondrous 
manifestations  into  which  angels  desire  to  look,  of  a 

JUST  GOD,  AND  YET  A  SAVIOUR. 

"The  first  creation  made  men  creatures,  and  placed 
them  where,  by  their  voluntary  rebellion,  they  became 
sinners,  and  exposed  to  endless  death ;  the  second 
creation  makes  them  saints,  and  prepares  them  to  be 
kings  and  priests  unto  God,  and  to  reign  with  him  for 
ever  and  ever. 

"Ever  since  He  who  had  power  to  lay  down  his 
life,  showed  that  he  had  power  to  take  it  again,  by 
bursting  the  bands  of  death,  and  rising  triumphant, 
leading  captivity  captive,  his  disciples  have  assembled 
on  the  day  of  his  resurrection  to  worship  and  adore. 
For  eighteen  hundred  years  has  been  sung,  by  the 
church  on  earth,  a  new  smg,  and  one  which  the  physi 
cal  creation  merely  could  never  inspire,  'Thou  art- 
worthy,  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us 
unto  God  by  thy  blood,  out  of  every  kindred,  and 
tongue,  and  people,  and  nation/  This  is  now  their 
practice ;  and  such  it  will  continue  to  be,  till  this  song 
of  the  church  on  earth  is  swallowed  up  in  the  song  of 
the  church  in  heaven." 

After  Christ's  resurrection,  when  according  to  the 
prophecy  he  became  the  headstone  of  the  corner,  we 
hear  no  more  of  his  going  into  the  synagogue,  or  any 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  459 

other  place  of  worship,  or  even  meeting  his  disciples, 
on  the  seventh  day,  (the  day  in  which  he  had  lain  in 
the  grave ;)  but  on  the  first  day  he  met  them  from 
time  to  time  with  abundant  blessings,  and  said,  "  Peace 
be  unto  you  ;"  "  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost." 

The  THIRD  Permanent  Sabbath  Document,  issued 
two  years  later,  is  entitled,  "  THE  SABBATH  A  FAMILY 
INSTITUTION,"  and  shows  that  as  G  od  made  one  woman 
to  be  the  help-meet  of  one  man,  so  he  made  the  Sabbath 
to  be  the  help-meet  of  the  family,  without  which,  in  nei 
ther  case,  would  he  have  fulfilled  his  designs  of  love. 
The  whole  subject  underlies  the  dearest  individual, 
social,  civil,  temporal,  and  eternal  interests  of  man. 

"To  bring  glory  to  himself  in  the  highest,  and 
manifest  most  efficaciously  and  extensively  good-will  to 
men,  God  established,  at  the  creation,  two  great,  fun 
damental,  and  permanent  institutions.  The  first  was 
that  of  MARRIAGE,  or  the  union  for  life  of  one  man 
and  one  woman,  as  the  head  of  one  family.  The  next 
was  THE  SABBATH,  or  the  day  of  weekly  rest  from 
worldly  business  and  cares,  and  of  special  devotion  to 
the  worship  of  God  and  the  promotion  of  the  spiritual 
good  of  men.  Both  were  established  in  paradise, 
before  the  fall,  and  were  'made  for  man.7  Both  are 
suited  to  his  nature,  adapted  to  his  capacities,  and 
essential  to  the  supply  of  his  wants.  They  were  so 
at  the  beginning,  they  are  so  now,  and  they  will  con 
tinue  to  be  so,  in  all  countries,  to  the  end  of  time. 
They  are  parts  of  one  whole,  and  mutually  aid  and 
sustain  each  other." 

He  considers  the  family  institution  under  the  heads 


460  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

of  government,  instruction,  and  exampk.  Under  the 
first  he  says,  "  Children  are  the  creatures,  and  as  such, 
the  property  of  God.  He  commits  them  to  their  par 
ents  as  his  representatives  and  officers,  to  receive  and 
train  them  for  his  service.  For  this  purpose  they  are, 
from  the  beginning,  to  consecrate  them  to  him,  and 
early  to  teach  them  the  first  great  lesson  of  his  moral 
government,  '  Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done :'  that 
they  must  not  be  permitted  to  have  their  own  way,  to 
govern  themselves,  or  others.  They  are  not  qualified 
to  govern.  They  have  not  lived  long  enough,  they  do 
not  know  enough,  they  are  not  good  enough,  they  are 
not  strong  enough.  Their  interest,  safety,  excellence, 
and  usefulness,  their  happiness,  and  the  happiness  of 
others,  all  require  that  they  should  not  govern,  but 
be  governed.  Parents  are  God's  officers  to  teach 
them  this  truth,  which  lies  at  the  foundation  of  his 
moral  government,  and  the  practical  experimental 
knowledge  of  which  is  essential  to  the  excellence,  use 
fulness,  and  happiness  of  every  human  being." 

The  instruction  they  need,  especially  "  the  know 
ledge  of  God  their  Creator,  Redeemer,  and  Sanctifier, 
and  of  themselves,  their  relations  and  duties,  should  be 
communicated,  not  in  set  forms,  or  at  stated  periods 
merely,  but '  line  upon  line,  and  precept  upon  precept, 
here  a  little  and  there  a  little/  as  they  are  able  to 
bear  it.  In  the  house  and  by  the  way,  when  they  lie 
down  and  when  they  rise  up,  parents  must  communi 
cate  knowledge  as  there  is  time  and  opportunity.  And 
in  order  to  secure  the  performance  of  these  duties, 
parents  must  daily  read  the  Bible  themselves,  and  pray, 
not  only  in  secret,  but  in  their  families.  All  the  family 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  461 

must  assemble  and  hearken  to  the  voice  of  their  com 
mon  God  and  Father ;  bow  before  him  in  confession 
of  their  sins,  and  in  humble  supplication  for  his  mer 
cy  ;  render  thanks  for  his  benefits,  and  ask  of  him  the 
blessings  which  they  need  for  the  body  and  the  soul, 
for  time  and  eternity,  especially  the  blessings  of  his 
grace,  that  they  may  all  be  made  wise  unto  salvation 
through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  And  in  the  duties  and 
events  of  the  day,  parents  must  manifest  those  feelings 
of  supreme  regard  to  God  and  good  will  to  men,  which 
they  inculcate  on  their  children ;  and  must  set  them  an 
example  of  living,  not  unto  themselves,  but  unto  Him 
who  died  for  them  and  rose  again. 

"  Under  the  influence  of  such  government,  instruc 
tion,  and  example,  they  may  expect,  with  the  blessing 
of  God,  that  their  children  will  know  him,  and  Jesus 
Christ  whom  he  has  sent,  and  will  become  followers 
of  those  who  through  faith  and  patience  are  now  in 
heriting  the  promises." 

But  there  would  be  no  such  "  family  government, 
instruction,  and  example,"  as  here  inculcated,  if  the 
Sabbath,  with  its  ordinances  and  blessings,  had  not 
been  given,  and  the  very  terms  of  the  command  seem 
to  present  it  as  a  family  institution :  "  In  it  thou  shalt 
not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter, 
thy  man-servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy  cattle, 
nor  the  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates,"  or  under 
thy  control.  "  God  has  made  it  the  duty  of  the  head 
of  the  family  to  see  that  it  is  observed.  And  one 
great  object  that  he  had  in  view  in  the  establishment 
of  family  government  was,  that  through  its  influence 
the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  might  be  secured,"  and 


462  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS.  D.  D. 

thus  the  two  great  primeval  institutions  of  paradise 
be  the  mutual  support  and  strength  of  each  other. 

The  FOURTH  Permanent  Sabbath  Document,  issued 
the  next  year,  shows,  chiefly  from  scriptural  authority, 

THE  PROPER  MODE  OF  KEEPING  THE  SABBATH.   The 

divine  command,  as  above  intimated,  secures  rest  on 
this  day  to  all  under  one's  care  and  control,  not  only 
men  but  beasts  of  burden,  and  requires  that  all  things 
be  so  arranged  as  to  give  them  this  privilege. 

"  Though  heaven  and  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot 
contain  him,  and  he  has  ten  thousand  times  ten  thou 
sand  round  about  him,  God  does  not  forget  the  poor 
or  the  dumb.  Not  a  servant  escapes  his  notice,  nor  a 
beast  is  beneath  his  care.  He  never  for  a  moment 
overlooks  the  defenceless,  who  cannot  protect  them 
selves,  or  plead  their  own  cause.  He  compassionates 
their  condition,  and  sympathizes  with  their  wants. 
When,  after  six  days  of  labor,  they  need,  in  addition 
to  the  rest  of  the  nights,  the  rest  also  of  one  day,  he 
guarantees  it  to  them.  And  it  was  with  reference  to 
them,  as  well  as  others,  that  he  made  the  Sabbath,  set 
it  apart  for  sacred  purposes,  gave  it  to  men,  forbade 
them  to  labor  during  its  hours,  and  commanded  them 
to  keep  it  holy. 

"  To  keep  the  Sabbath-day,  then,  in  a  proper  man 
ner,  oxen  and  owners,  servants  and  masters,  children 
and  parents,  workmen  and  employers,  sojourners  and 
citizens,  all,  on  this  day,  must  rest  from  worldly  busi 
ness,  except  so  far  as  works  of  necessary  mercy,  and 
the  best  discharge  of  the  appropriate  duties  of  the 
Sabbath  as  a  holy  day,  may  require." 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  463 

He  proceeds  to  a  careful  analysis  of  the  directions 
of  the  Bible  as-  to  the  sacred  observance  of  the  day,  and 
especially  the  teaching  of  Christ  and  the  apostles; 
and  then  examines  a  great  variety  of  cases,  in  all  the 
principal  departments  of  life,  in  which  there  may  be 
a  supposed  necessity  for  violating  the  Sabbath,  illustrating 
the  subject  by  facts  which  had  come  to  his  knowledge. 
He  considers  very  fully  the  case  of  manufactories — hay 
ing  and  harvesting — the  merchant,  or  banker — the  lawyer — 
travelling — the  mails — the  sailing  of  packets — going  into 
the  country  for  health— ferrks — livery  stables — the  butch 
er — the  baker — the  printer — arrangements  of  families — 
steam-boats — navigation  of  ships — whaling — secular  read 
ing,  or  conversation — ministerial  exchanges,  etc.,  showing 
in  all  the  safety,  the  wisdom,  and  the  duty  of  sacredly 
and  faithfully  keeping  the  day  holy  unto  God.  He 
then  renews  the  consideration  of  the  benefits  of  ob 
serving  the  day,  in  the  study  of  the  Scriptures,  public 
worship,  prayer,  gaining  or  imparting  religious  in 
struction,  and  other  means  of  grace,  and  adds  : 

"  Let  all  who  would  be  the  friends  of  their  Maker 
and  benefactors  of  their  race,  confine  their  secular 
business,  travelling,  and  amusement  to  six  days  in  a 
week,  the  only  days  which  God  has  made  or  given  to 
men  for  that  purpose,  the  only  days  which  they  can 
take  without  taking  what  is  not  theirs,  and  thus  show 
ing  themselves  to  be  at  heart,  towards  God,  dishonest 
men.  Let  them  remember  the  Sabbath-day,  and  keep 
it  holy  as  the  day  of  the  Lord ;  devoting  it  from 
beginning  to  end  cheerfully  to  his  worship,  private, 
social,  and  public,  and  to  the  promotion  of  the  spirit 
ual  good  of  men.  Let  them  cease  from  secular  cares, 


464  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

from  worldly,  scientific,  and  literary  reading,  conver 
sation,  visiting,  and  pleasure.  Let  them  hearken  dil 
igently  to  the  voice  of  God  in  his  works,  his  word, 
and  his  providence,  and  as  echoed  by  their  own  con 
science  ;  let  them  make  it  a  part  of  their  employment 
every  Sabbath,  to  study  the  Bible  with  attention, 
docility,  and  prayer ;  to  hearken  to  it  as  illustrated, 
expounded,  and  enforced  by  the  pious,  learned,  and 
faithful  ministers  of  the  gospel ;  and  then  let  them 
search  the  Scriptures  for  themselves,  and  judge  wheth 
er  what  they  hear  is  confirmed  by  the  unerring  word 
of  God ;  and  if  so,  let  them  receive  it,  not  as  the  word 
of  men,  but  as  the  word  of  God,  treasure  it  up  in  their 
hearts,  and  exemplify  it  in  their  lives.  Then  will  they 
shine  .as  lights  in  the  world,  holding  forth  the  word 
of  life,  and  letting  their  light  so  shine  that  multitudes 
will  be  led  to  glorify  their  Father  in  heaven.  Life 
will  be  pleasant,  death  will  be  peaceful,  and  eternity 
glorious.  Their  children  who  walk  in  their  steps  will 
rise  up  and  call  them  blessed.  Posterity  will  honor 
their  memory,  and  unborn  generations  to  all  future 
time  reap  the  benefit  of  their  labors,  and  add  to  their 
exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory." 

The  FIFTH,  and  last  Permanent  Sabbath  Docu 
ment,  DEVELOPMENTS  OF  PROVIDENCE  ON  THE  SAB 
BATH,  comprises  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  well  at 
tested,  instructive,  and  in  many  cases  intensely  inter 
esting  facts ;  illustrating  the  blessedness,  even  in  this 
life,  of  keeping  the  day  holy,  and  the  folly  and  sin  of 
presumptuously  rebelling  against  God  by  its  profa 
nation. 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  465 

"These  facts/7  he  says,  "are  not  stated  to  prove 
that  the  Sabbath  is  a  holy  day ;  but,  as  a  part  of  the 
history  of  providence  with  regard  to  the  day,  they 
serve  to  illustrate  and  enforce  the  truth,  that  when 
men,  in  opposition  to  the  known  will  of  God,  openly 
trample  down  a  great  institution  of  his  appointment, 
the  observance  of  which  is  essential  to  the  promotion 
of  his  glory  and  the  welfare  of  men,  he  will  in  his 
providence  so  often  thwart  their  plans  and  disappoint 
their  expectations,  that  for  them  to  pursue  such  a 
course  is  not  wise.  It  is  not  good  policy  for  this 
world.  It  does  not  produce  a  good  influence  on  a 
man's  own  mind  while  he  pursues  it ;  and  it  does  not 
work  well  on  his  children.  It  is  not  the  best  way  to 
obtain  property,  and  receive  from  it  the  greatest 
benefit ;  and  it  does  not  end  well." 

These  admirable  "Permanent  Sabbath  Documents" 
were  joyfully  welcomed  by  the  Christian  community, 
both  in  this  and  the  mother  country,  as  they  succes 
sively  appeared,  and  they  are  still  the  standard  work 
for  general  circulation  on  the  sanctification  of  the 
Lord's  day. 

On  the  27th  of  November,  1844,  a  NATIONAL  SAB 
BATH  CONVENTION  was  held  at  Baltimore,  attended  by 
upwards  of  seventeen  hundred  delegates,  from  eleven 
different  states,  at  which  JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS,  late 
President  of  the  United  States,  presided.  This  con 
vention  adopted  with  great  unanimity  twenty  reso 
lutions,  expressing  their  sense  of  the  sacredness,  the 
divine  authority,  the  obligations,  and  the  benefits  of 
the  Sabbath  ;  and  also  adopted  three  able  and  forcible 
20* 


466  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

public  appeals  for 'the  true  and  proper  observance  of 
the  day:  one  to  the  people  of  the  United  States  j  one  to 
canal  commissioners  ',  and  one  to  the  directors  of  rail 
roads — all  of  which,  with  the  proceedings  of  the  con 
vention  and  valuable  letters  from  gentlemen  of  dis 
tinction  who  could  not  be  present,  were  published  and 
extensively  circulated.  Within  the  first  three  years 
of  Dr.  Edwards'  labors,  fifteen  general  Sabbath  con 
ventions  were  held,  of  which  seven  were  state  con 
ventions,  each  attended  by  from  one  hundred  to  five 
hundred  delegates. 

On  the  adjournment  of  the  National  Convention 
at  Baltimore,  he  entered  on  one  of  those  extensive  and 
laborious  tours  by  which  he  exerted  so  effective  an  in 
fluence.  The  brief  record  is  :  "  He  visited  Washing 
ton,  and  addressed  six  public  assemblies  in  the  District 
of  Columbia.  He  then  proceeded  westward,  spend 
ing  a  week  or  two,  and  attending  various  public 
meetings,  in  the  principal  places  from  that  city  to  St. 
Louis,  where  he  addressed  seven  public  meetings,  and 
then  proceeded  to  Alton,  Peoria,  Chicago,  and  De 
troit,  and  returned  by  way  of  Buffalo  to  Albany.  In 
the  course  of  his  tour,  he  attended  about  sixty  public 
meetings,  and  had  opportunity  to  address  many  mem 
bers  of  the  courts  and  other  distinguished  individuals, 
and  members  of  the  legislatures  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illi 
nois,  Michigan,  and  New  York.  He  was  listened  to 
by  crowded  audiences,  and  with  great  attention.  And 
not  a  few  expressed  the  opinion,  that  could  informa 
tion  be  spread,  and  Sabbath  observance  receive,  from 
good  men,  the  united  influence  of  a  uniformly  consistent 
exampk,  it  would  ere  long  become  universal. 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  467 

"Railroad  directors,  in  increasing  numbers  of  cases, 
confined  the  running  of  their  cars  to  six  days  in  the 
week;  locks  on  canals  were  not  opened,  and  official 
business  not  transacted  on  the  Sabbath.  Stage-coach 
es  and  steam-boats  in  many  cases  had  ceased  to  run ; 
and  more  than  eighty  thousand  miles  of  Sabbath-break 
ing  mails  had  been  stopped." 

The  last  Sabbath  report  he  presented,  May,  1850, 
states  that  he  had  travelled  more  than  forty-eight  thou 
sand  miles,  through  twenty-five  of  the  United  States, 
"  addressing  various  classes  of  men  through  the  pulpit 
and  the  press,  and  pointing  out  the  reasons  why,  as 
individuals  and  as  a  nation,  we  should,  in  obedience 
to  God,  '  remember  the  Sabbath-day  to  keep  it  holy.' " 

"  About  forty  railroad  companies,"  he  says,  "  stop  the 
running  of  their  cars  on  that  day,  on  about  four  thou 
sand  miles  of  roads.  The  communities  through  which 
they  pass,  and  whose  right  to  the  stillness  and  quiet 
of  the  day  had  for  years  been  grossly  violated  by  the 
screaming  and  rumbling  of  cars  in  time  of  public  wor 
ship,  are  now  free  from  the  nuisance,  and  are  permitted 
to  enjoy  their  rights  and  privileges  without  molesta 
tion.  No  good  reason  can  be  given  why  this  should 
not  be  the  case  universally,  throughout  our  country. 
The  running  of  rail-cars  on  the  Sabbath  is  giving  sanc 
tion  to  its  public  desecration,  and  openly  setting  at  de 
fiance  the  will  of  Jehovah.  It  is  undermining  the  effi 
cacy  of  his  laws,  and  encouraging  the  vicious  to  break 
them.  If  one  class  of  men  may  violate  one  of  the  ten 
commandments,  those  great,  fundamental,  permanent 
moral  laws,  engraven  with  the  finger  of  Jehovah  on 
tables  of  stone,  another  class  may  violate  another,  and 


468  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

so  on,  till  all  are  disregarded.  Thus  an  example  is 
set  which  tends  powerfully  to  universal  profligacy, 
and  to  the  destruction  of  that  virtue  on  which  all  our 
social,  civil,  and  religious  institutions  depend.  That 
railroads  are  to  be  the  principal  mode  of  conveyance 
on  all  our  great  thoroughfares,  is  now  settled.  From 
morning  to  evening,  and  from  evening  to  morning,  one 
incessant  and  mighty  rush  of  human  invention,  activ 
ity,  and  enterprise  will,  year  after  year,  sweep  from 
ocean  to  ocean,  through  the  six  working  days  of  the 
week.  If  then,  at  the  bidding  of  Jehovah,  the  giver 
and  preserver  of  all  good,  the  fire  of  our  engines  is 
extinguished,  and  our  millions  of  wheels  cease  to  roll — 
if  the  rising  Sabbath  sun,  unobscured  by  the  smoke  of 
our  fires,  casts  his  cheering  rays  on  every  iron  road, 
and  as  he  passes  over  our  widely  extended  and  extend 
ing  country,  sees  in  our  cities,  towns,  and  villages,  the 
whole  people  congregating  for  prayer,  thanksgiving, 
and  praise,  then  shall  our  peace  be  as  a  river,  and  our 
righteousness  as  the  waves  of  the  sea.  The  difference 
between  the  Sabbath  and  other  days  will  be  seen  and 
felt  by  every  child  in  our  nation,  and  they  will  grow 
up  instinctively  exclaiming  on  its  approach,  'This  is 
the  day  which  the  Lord  hath  made ;  we  will  rejoice 
and  be  glad  in  it.  Let  us  come  before  his  presence 
with  thanksgiving,  and  make  a  joyful  noise  unto  him 
with  psalms.  0  come,  let  us  worship  and  bow  down ; 
let  us  kneel  before  the  Lord  our  Maker  ;.  for  he  is  our 
God,  and  we  are  the  sheep  of  his  pasture  and  the  peo 
ple  of  his  hand.' " 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  469 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LABORS  FOR  THE  SANCTIFICATION  OF  THE 
SABBATH— CONTINUED. 

1842-1849. 

HAVING  presented  a  brief  view  of  Dr.  Edwards' 
more  public  and  official  labors  for  seven  years  in  be 
half  of  the  Sabbath,  we  return  to  gather  some  gems 
from  his  correspondence  during  the  same  period. 

To  his  eldest  son,  who  was  about  to  travel  at  the 
South  and  West,  he  gave  the  following  hints  : 

"  Commit  yourself  and  your  way  to  the  Lord ;  ac 
knowledge  him  with  gratitude  as  the  first  duty  of  the 
morning,  and  seek  his  guidance,  protection,  and  bless 
ing  through  the  day.  These  we  always  need,  and 
especially  in  travelling,  for  then  it  is  especially  true 
that  we  know  not  what  a  day  may  bring  forth.  Keep 
a  little  pocket  Testament  as  your  daily  companion,  and 
endeavor  to  read  some  portion  of  it  every  day,  though 
it  be  but  a  few  verses.  Avoid  travelling  on  the  Sab 
bath,  and  wherever  you  may  be,  endeavor  to  keep  it 
holy,  and  always  attend  public  worship.  It  is  the 
way  to  prosper  during  the  week. 

kt  Avoid  gaming  of  every  sort,  even  for  amusement, 
at  public-houses,  on  board  the  steam-boat,  and  in  all 
other  places.  I  have  seen  young  men  on  the  western 
steam-boats  induced  ljust  to  begin,'  and  having  once 
begun,  unable  to  stop  till  they  had  lost  all,  and  were 


470  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

deeply  in  debt.  Many  of  the  boats  and  public-houses 
abound  with  men  who  are  constantly  watching,  and 
who  make  it  a  business  to  ingratiate  themselves  into 
the  confidence  of  the  young,  in  order  to  seduce  and 
ruin  them. 

"  Do  nothing  on  your  journey  under  the  idea  that 
you  are  a  stranger,  and  that  it  will  not  be  known. 
Treat  all  persons  with  courtesy  and  kindness,  but 
never  commit  yourself  to  any  stranger  in  such  a  man 
ner  that  he  may  injure  you,  should  he  prove  to  be  a 
bad  man.  Have  no  difficulty  or  personal  altercation 
with  any  one,  however  badly  he  may  treat  you.  If  a 
man  takes  your  berth  in  the  boat  or  your  seat  in  the 
coach,  and  refuses  to  give  it  up  when  politely  inform 
ed  that  it  is  yours,  then  take  another.  Be  above  hav 
ing  any  difficulty  with  such  a  man,  and  have  nothing 
to  do  with  him  except  to  'overcome  evil  with  good.7 
This  is  the  way  to  make  all  treat  you  with  kindness 
and  respect. 

"  Keep  your  eyes  and  ears  open,  see  every  thing, 
and  hear  every  thing,  and  learn  as  many  valuable  and 
important  facts  as  possible  while  on  your  journey. 
Provide  yourself  with  good  pocket  travelling  maps 
and  note-books,  and  make  yourself  thoroughly  ac 
quainted  with  the  geography  of  the  country  through 
which  you  pass.  Soon  after  you  enter  a  city,  like 
Cincinnati  or  St.  Louis,  it  is  well  to  go  upon  the  high 
est  elevation  in  the  neighborhood  which  overlooks  the 
city,  and  get  as  perfect  a  view  as  possible  fixed  in  your 
mind  of  its  exact  location,  size,  shape,  etc.  You  will 
thus  get  correct  and  permanent  impressions  of  every 
place  you  visit. 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  471 

"Be  as  regular  as  possible  in  meals  and  sleep: 
avoid  overloading  the  stomach,  especially  in  the  even 
ing  ;  and  above  all,  avoid  wines,  beers,  and  all  intoxi 
cating  liquors.  Be  careful  not  to  be  out  at  night  or 
in  storms.  This  is  more  hazardous  at  the  West  than 
at  the  East.  Avoid  as  far  as  possible  great  fatigue, 
which  will  expose  you  to  fever  and  ague,  and  bilious 
fevers.  When  sick  do  not  travel,  but  lie  by,  and  send 
for  the  best  physician,  if  possible  a  Christian  physi 
cian,  for  such  a  one  may  be  more  safely  trusted. 
Above  all,  look  to  the  great  Physician  of  body  and 
soul,  who  is  always  able  and  willing  to  hear  and  to 
do  for  those  who  truly  and  heartily  apply  to  him. 
When  getting  up  from  sickness,  be  careful  not  to  set 
out  on  your  journey  too  soon.  A  relapse  thus  caused 
will  be  more  dangerous  than  the  first  attack,  and  many 
have  thus  lost  their  lives. 

"  If  called  to  lay  your  body  among  strangers,  or  in 
the  rolling  deep,  commit  your  soul  in  penitence  and 
faith  into  the  hands  of  Him  who  hath  said,  '  Him  that 
cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.'  '  He  that 
believeth  on  me  shall  never  die ;'  and  '  though  he  were 
dead,  yet  shall  he  live.' " 

He  adds  a  list  of  thirty  or  forty  worthy  clergymen 
and  laymen  in  the  principal  cities  and  towns,  con 
nected  with  the  several  evangelical  Christian  denomi 
nations,  who,  in  case  his  son  should  be  sick  and  need 
their  aid,  would  gladly  render  it. 

In  October,  1842,  having  taken  part  in  a  public 
deliberative  meeting  of  the  Board  and  friends  of  the 
American  Tract  Society  in  New  York,  he  wrote  to 


472  EEV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

the  compiler:  "The  meeting  will,  I  trust,  do  great 
good,  and  several  of  the  documents  read  might  with 
great  advantage  be  put  into  a  volume,  or  circulated 
in  some  other  form,  to  all  the  friends  of  Zion.  The 
idea  that  every  Christian,  wherever  he  goes  or  stays, 
should  be  a  colporteur  to  the  destitute,  should  be  ex 
tended  and  impressed  universally. 

"  The  paper  read  on  the  divinely  appointed  meth 
ods  of  spreading  the  gospel,  is  a  fundamental  document, 
and  could  the  New  Testament  be  fairly  and  fully  ex 
hibited  on  that  subject,  it  would  sweep  away  many 
powerful  obstructions  to  the  most  extensive  good.  It 
is  earnestly  hoped  that  the  Christians  of  this  country, 
and  other  countries,  will  not  wait  till  they  are,  by 
persecution,  violently  scattered  abroad,  before  they 
will,  wherever  they  go,  preach  the  word  j  and  testify 
that  by  which  men  may  be  saved.  If  making  known 
divine  truth  is  preaching,  all  may  bear  a  part  in  preach 
ing  the  gospel  to  every  creature ;  and  all  may  have 
souls  for  their  hire.  There  never  was  a  people  on 
the  face  of  the  earth  who  had  greater  facilities,  or 
were  under  stronger  obligations  to  do  this,  than  the 
people  of  these  United  States ;  especially  to  evangel 
ize,  in  the  least  possible  time,  every  nook  and  corner  of 
our  own  country. 

"  God  is  furnishing  instruments  for  the  battle  of 
the  great  day.  Our  Leader  is  invincible,  and  ulti 
mate  victory  certain.  Let  us  be  strong  in  the  Lord, 
and  in  the  power  of  his  might ;  not  weary  in  well-do 
ing  •  not  stop  by  the  way  to  contend  which  shall  be 
the  greatest,  or  whose  course  the  most  important ; 
but  do  good  as  we  have  opportunity  to  all,  and  rest 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH  473 

assured  that  if  any  man  serve  Christ,  him  will  the 
Father  honor." 

Being  in  the  city  of  New  York,  April  29, 1844,  he 
wrote  to  Mrs.  Edwards :  "  Last  evening  I  attended  a 
meeting  in  the  Tabernacle,  and  heard  a  son  of  Rev. 
Dr.  Scudder,  who  is  to  sail  on  the  6th  of  May  as  a 
missionary  to  India.  He  has  three  other  sons,  who 
are  preparing  to  be  missionaries.  One  of  them  spoke 
after  his  brother,  and  the  father  closed.  When  he 
rose,  he  told  the  audience  that  he  had  eight  sons  and 
two  daughters ;  that  he  gave  all  up  to  be  missionaries, 
to  go  anywhere,  or  to  any  place  to  which  God  might 
call  them.  He  then  addressed  other  parents,  and  urged 
them  to  give  up  their  children  to  the  same  blessed 
work  j  then  called  on  the  young  merchants,  doctors, 
and  lawyers  to  dedicate  themselves  to  Jesus  Christ, 
and  go  to  the  heathen,  or  make  money  to  help  others 
to  go  ;  as  a  work  infinitely  more  noble,  dignified,  use 
ful,  and  blessed,  than  living  merely  for  dollars  and 
cents." 

About  the  same  time  he  wrote  from  New  York  to 
Mr.  Delavan :  "  I  am  becoming  most  strongly  impress 
ed  with  the  immense  influence  which  a  man  of  the  right 
sort,  stationed  in  this  city,  might  exert,  by  keeping  his 
eye  on  all  the  papers,  and  preparing  weekly  for  each 
a  short  paragraph  adapted  to  meet  the  wants  of  the 
public  mind,  and  to  exert  a  transforming  power  on 
the  press  of  the  country. 

"  I  have  proposed  to  Dr.  Nott  to  prepare  an  address 
for  a  great  public  meeting  in  Boston  and  then  in  New 
York,  o/i  the  importance  of  the  Sabbath  to  the  laboring 
classes  of  the  community.  I  hope  he  will  do  it.  It 


-174  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

might  then  be  printed,  and  scattered  on  the  wings  of 
the  wind." 


Mrs.  Edwards  being  at  Saratoga  Springs  when  her 
venerated  mother  died,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six,  he 
wrote  her  from  Andover,  August  6,  1844 :  "  Our  dear 
mother  died  on  Wednesday,  at  three  o'clock,  p.  M. 
"We  have  great  reason  to  be  thankful  that  she  lived  so 
long,  and  was  enabled  and  inclined  to  set  so  good  an 
example  ;  that  she  had  such  a  peaceful,  quiet  old  age  ; 
such  a  calm  and  merciful  departure  from  this  world ; 
and  that  we  have  such  good  reason  to  believe  that  she 
is  now  in  glory,  where  no  one  saith,  I  am  sick ;  where 
there  is  no  sin,  and  of  course  no  suffering,  or  disap 
pointment,  or  sorrow,  or  evil  of  any  description  ;  but 
where  all  are  holy,  and  beautiful,  and  perfect,  and 
blessed. 

"  Every  day  probably,  for  many  years,  and  espec 
ially  for  several  of  the  last  years  of  her  life,  she  pray 
ed  for  all  her  children  and  grandchildren.  It  was  her 
custom,  when  she  lay  awake  at  night,  to  spend  the  time 
in  mentioning  her  children  and  grandchildren  to  the 
Lord ;  and  in  beseeching  him  to  grant  them  the  bless 
ings  of  his  grace.  Her  prayers  are  now  ended.  And 
it  becomes  more  and  more  important,  that  they  should 
pray  daily  for  themselves,  and  endeavor,  all  of  them, 
to  become  followers  of  them  who,  through  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ  and  obedience  to  him,  are  now  inheriting  the 
promises  which  G-od  has  made  to  all  that  love  him. 

"Some  of  her  excellences  were,  good  common- 
sense,  a  charming  temper,  great  kindness  towards  all, 
uniform  consistency  of  character,  steady  devotion  to 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  475 

the  appropriate  duties  of  her  station,  and  persevering 
obedience  to  the  known  will  of  God.  May  her  chil 
dren  and  grandchildren  all  imitate  her  as  far  as  she 
imitated  Christ.  It  is  a  great  blessing  to  have  had 
such  a  mother  and  grandmother." 

December  2,  he  wrote  Mrs.  Edwards,  from  Wash 
ington  city,  "  It  is  to-day  thirty-two  years  since  I  was 
ordained  at  Andover.  'So  teach  us  to  number  our 
days,  that  we  may  apply  our  hearts  unto  wisdom.' 
Life,  when  it  is  finished,  will  have  gone  in  the  same 
way  like  a  dream  when  one  awaketh. 

" '  Well,  if  our  days  must  fly, 

We  11  keep  their  end  in  sight ; 
We  '11  spend  them  all  in  wisdom's  way, 

And  let  them  speed  their  flight. 
They  '11  waft  us  sooner  o'er 

This  life's  tempestuous  sea ; 
Soon  we  shall  reach  the  peaceful  shore 

Of  blest  eternity ' — 

provided  we  spend  life  in  learning  and  doing  the  will 
of  God.  We  shall  then  enjoy  much  comfort  in  this 
world,  and  do  much  good ;  and  when  called,  shall, 
through  grace,  be  prepared  to  leave  it  and  enter  into 
that  'rest  which  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God.; 
The  Sabbath  was  designed  to  be  an  emblem  of  that 
rest,  and  a  season  of  preparation  for  it.  And  when 
it  shall  be  kept  by  all  the  people  according  to  the 
will  of  God,  many,  very  many  will  be  preparing  for 
heaven." 

On  the  thirty-fourth  anniversary  of  his  ordination 
he  wrote  again  from  Boston,  "I  recollect  that  ten 
years  after  I  was  settled,  I  had  a  very  impressive 
view  of  the  shortness  of  human  life.  I  was  then  thir- 


476  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

ty-five  years  old,  one-half  of  seventy ;  and  I  could  see 
very  plainly  that  twice  the  term  I  had  then  lived 
would  be  very  short.  I  am  now  within  a  little  more 
than  ten  years  of  seventy,  and  about  nine  years  older 
than  Rev.  Dr.  Armstrong,  who,  you  have  heard,  died 
last  week,  in  the  wreck  of  the  Atlantic.  A  week  ago 
this  morning  he  was  here  at  the  Marlboro'  hotel,  and 
led  in  family  prayer,  as  I  did  this  morning.  After 
prayer,  I  had  conversation  with  him  on  the  subject  of 
missions.  He  left  Wednesday  afternoon.  His  thanks 
giving-day,  and  that  of  the  crew,  tossing  on  the  waves, 
was  very  different  from  ours.  He  has  left  a  wife  and 
five  children.  On  Sabbath  morning  they  hauled  up  the 
Atlantic  on  the  dry  dock,  and  spent  the  Sabbath  in 
repairing  her.  But  these  Sabbath-day  repairs  do  not 
end  well.  Before  the  next  Sabbath  she  was  in  frag 
ments  on  the  rocks,  and  forty-five  of  her  passengers 
had  bid  adieu  to  earth." 

Writing  while  on  a  long  journey,  he  says,  "My 
health  is  good,  and  1  ^m  as  comfortable  as  can  be 
expected  away  from  home,  until  I  grow  better,  and 
learn  to  be  more  happy  in  God,  and  doing  his  will." 

He  says  again,  "My  present  mode  of  life  is  in  some 
respects  that  of  exile,  and  no  one  who  has  a  good  home 
and  kind  friends  knows  the  privations  of  being  absent 
from  them,  and  living  on  the  winds  and  the  waves,  in 
bar-rooms,  stages,  rail-cars,  and  steam-boats,  but  from 
experience.  Yet  as  no  great  good  can  be  accomplish 
ed  without  many  sacrifices,  and  as  we  have  but  one 
life  to  live  in  this  world,  it  is  best  to  make  the  most 
of  it,  and  do  what  we  can  for  HIM  who  has  done  and 
suffered  so  much  for  us." 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  477 

His  letters  to  his  family,  in  his  long,  laborious,  and 
successful  tours  at  the  West  and  South,  indicate  untir 
ing  perseverance  in  his  work,  gratitude  for  the  Chris 
tian  kindness  and  cooperation  received,  and  buoyancy 
and  cheerfulness  in  meeting  the  ever-varying  incidents 
which  occurred.  He  often  made  journeys  of  hundreds 
of  miles  by  stage,  travelling  slowly  day  and  night  in 
almost  impassable  roads ;  notices  of  which  in  his  let 
ters  are  mingled  with  descriptions  of  the  growth  of 
cities,  interesting  intelligence  of  passing  events,  and 
all  the  variety  of  kind  paternal  counsels  which  he 
would  have  wished  to  give  verbally  at  home. 

On  one  occasion  he  writes  to  his  eldest  daughter, 
"  I  went  up  the  Kentucky  river  forty-five  miles,  from 
Frankfort  to  Munday's  landing,  and  wishing  to  come 
about  ten  miles  to  Harrodsburg,  it  being  very  muddy, 
a  gentleman  offered  me  his  horse.  Asking  him  what  I 
should  pay,  '  0,  nothing/  said  he.  *  Well,  what  shall 
I  do  with  the  horse ?;  '  O/  said  he,  'my  boy '  (a  large 
colored  young  man)  'will  go  with  you  and  take  care 
of  the  horse :  I  suppose  you  have  no  objection  to  his 
riding  with  you.'  'No/  said  I,  'not  at  all.'  So  we 
started  off  together,  with  the  colored  man  behind  me 
on  the  same  horse,  and  thus  arrived,  through  the  mud, 
at  Harrodsburg." 

He  adds,  "As  I  came  up  from  Louisville,  about 
sixty  miles  on  the  Ohio,  and  about  seventy  on  the 
Kentucky  river,  to  Frankfort,  in  the  evening,  at  one 
end  of  the  cabin  were  a  number  of  men  playing  cards. 
At  the  other,  was  a  man  with  a  violin,  and  a  number 
of  men  and  women  dancing.  I  sat  between  them, 
looking,  as  I  suppose  they  thought,  very  sober,  think- 


478  REV     JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

ing  how  light-headed  and  empty-hearted  persons  must 
be  who  have  no  more  -substantial,  elevating,  or  puri 
fying  employments.  When  they  were  not  dancing, 
they  were,  women  and  all,  playing  cards  on  board  a 
public  steam-boat. 

"It  is  one  of  the  devices  of  the  adversary  to  get 
ladies  to  patronize  card-playing  by  their  example. 
Though  perhaps  they  do  not  play  for  money,  or  only 
play  for  a  very  little,  a  few  bright  little  silver  pieces, 
yet  it  opens  the  way  for  others,  judges,  juristsf  states 
men,  merchants,  farmers,  mechanics,  young,  old,  mid 
dle-aged,  black,  white,  and  all  classes,  to  be  caught  in 
Satan's  snare,  and  led  captive  through  its  bewitching 
influence,  down  to  ruin.  I  should  rejoice  should  each 
one  of  my  children  be  able  to  say,  at  the  close  of  life, 
that  they  never  knew  how  to  play  cards.  That  is  one  of 
those  things  with  regard  to  which  it  is  a  great  honor 
to  be  ignorant. 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  had  opportunity  to  see  all 
your  brothers ;  and  hope  that  they  and  their  sisters 
will  often  be  permitted  to  meet,  and  will  love  God 
and  one  another  so  heartily  and  fervently,  that  their 
meetings  will  always  be  seasons  of  exceeding  great 
joy." 

To  his  two  eldest  daughters,  who  were  members 
of  the  Mount  Holyoke  seminary,  he  wrote  with  a  fa 
ther's  love  and  care  for  their  highest  temporal  and 
eternal  good. 

"I  hope,"  he  says,  "that  you  find  your  situation 
increasingly  pleasant,  and  that  you  do  all  you  can 
consistently  with  health  to  improve  the  advantages 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  479 

you  enjoy.  Some  privations  must  of  course  be  experi 
enced  while  pursuing  study,  but  they  are  more  than 
paid  for  by  the  increase  of  useful  knowledge,  which 
with  suitable  diligence  and  self-denial  you  may  obtain. 
I  wish  all  my  daughters,  as  well  as  sons,  as  soon  as 
they  can,  to  get  a  good  education,  so  that,  should 
their  parents  die,  or  be  unable  to  support  them,  they 
can,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  support  themselves. 
The  time  of  young  persons  who  have  a  good  opportu 
nity  for  an  education,  is  more  valuable  than  they  can 
well  imagine.  It  is  in  fact  the  seed-time  of  life.  And 
what  a  man  soweth,  that  must  he  also  reap." 

In  March,  1845,  he  wrote  to  his  eldest  daughter, 
whom  he  had  recently  left  in  Boston,  a  full  and  seri 
ous  letter  in  reference  to  her  own  salvation  :  "  I  have 
thought  of  you  much  since  I  left,  and  cannot  but  feel 
that  the  present  is  a  time  of  great  interest  with  regard 
to  your  happiness  and  usefulness  on  earth,  and  your 
salvation  in  heaven.  That  salvation,  as  you  know, 
to  be  enjoyed  there,  must  be  begun  Jiere,  in  the  conver 
sion  of  the  soul  to  God.  And  blessed  be  God,  he  has 
opened  the  way  for  this,  freely,  of  his  own  accord,  and 
determined  to  do  it,  even  before  any  one  had  ever 
asked  him,  though  it  cost  him  the  sacrifice  and  death 
of  his  own  beloved  Son.  And  Jesus  Christ  consented 
to  bear  the  effects  of  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the 
cross,  as  he  did  when  he  suffered,  for  our  sakes,  ago 
nies  such  as  no  other  ever  endured,  and  such  as  none 
but  himself  can  fully  conceive.  This  shows  that  he 
is  love,  and  desires  not  the  continuance  in  sin,  or 
the  death  of  any  one,  but  that  they  may  all  forsake 
it,  be  delivered  from  it,  and  enjoy  his  presence  and 


480  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

favor  on  earth,  and  everlasting  life  and  glory  in 
heaven. 

"  In  pursuance  of  this  same  love  and  mercy,  and  as 
the  manifestation  of  his  desire  to  seek  and  to  save  the 
lost,  he  has  opened  the  way  for  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
convince  men  that  they  are  sinners,  and  without  his 
mercy  and  grace  must  perish ;  that  they  have  some 
thing  to  do  to  be  saved,  and  that  the  present  is  the 
time  in  which  to  do  it.  All  such  feelings  are  the  fruit 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  operating  on  the  mind,  and  are  the 
voice  of  God  to  the  soul,  in  pursuance  of  that  same 
love  which  led  him  to  give  up  his  Son  for  our  redemp 
tion,  saying  with  infinite  kindness,  '  Turn  ye,  turn  ye ; 
why  will  ye  die?' 

"  If  God  should,  of  his  infinite  mercy,  light  up  in 
your  soul  the  flame  of  love  to  him,  kindled  by  the  full- 
orbed  glory  of  his  love  to  you,  as  it  shines  in  the  face 
of  Jesus  Christ,  that  you  might  not  perish,  but  won 
der,  admire,  praise,  and  adore  for  ever,  it  will  not  be, 
and  it  ought  not  to  be,  solely  or  principally,  that  you 
may  be  saved,  but  that  you  may  be  instrumental,  by 
the  manifestation  of  a  portion  of  that  same  love  which 
was  in  Him,  in  saving  others.  Do  not  fail  daily  to 
study  the  Bible,  asking  God,  as  you  proceed,  to  teach 
you  by  his  Spirit,  who  takes  of  the  things  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  shows  them  unto  men,  that  you  may  rightly 
apprehend  his  truth  and  feel  right  in  view  of  it ;  espe 
cially  that  you  may  know  Mm,  that  is,  have  right  views 
of  his  character  and  right  feelings  towards  him — 
have  spiritual  discernment  of  his  beauty,  excellence, 
loveliness,  and  glory,  that  you  may  be  changed  into 
his  image.  It  is  right,  it  is  safe,  it  is  blessed  to  give 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  481 

up  body  and  soul  for  time  and  eternity  to  Jesus  Christ, 
and  to  trust  in  him  for  all  that  we  need ;  for  pardon 
of  sin,  for  the  Holy  Spirit  to  work  in  us  both  to  will 
and  to  do  what  he  requires,  and  what  is  our  duty  and 
most  reasonable  service.  Go  then,  my  dear  daughter, 
to  him,  cast  all  upon  him,  put  yourself  under  his  teach 
ing,  and  learn  of  him  who  is  meek  and  lowly  in  heart, 
and  you  shall  find  rest  to  your  soul." 

Two  months  later  he  writes  to  one  of  his  sons, 
"  Your  sisters  have,  I  hope,  chosen  that  l  good  part  which 
shall  not  be  taken  from  them'  If  they  have  chosen  God 
for  their  portion,  and  shall  live  to  serve  him  and  do 
good,  he  will  provide-  for  them,  and  be  their  everlast 
ing  Father  and  friend.  My  great  desire  and  prayer 
to  God  is,  that  this  may  be  the  case  with  you,  and  all 
my  children,  that  when  the  few  days  of  this  life  shall 
have  passed  away,  we  may  meet,  an  unbroken  family, 
in  heaven." 

Dr.  Edwards'  two  eldest  daughters,  a  few  weeks 
after  this,  publicly  professed  their  faith  in  Christ  and 
joined  themselves  to  his  people. 

To  his  second  son,  entering  on  theological  study, 
he  writes,  "  Live  near  to  God,  and  make  it  your  great 
object  to  learn  his  will  as  revealed  in  the  Bible.  The 
more  you  make  of  the  Bible  in  your  preparation  for 
the  ministry,  the  more  able  and  successful  you  will  be 
as  a  minister.  That  is  the  voice  of  God,  while  other 
books  are  the  voice  of  men." 

In  another  letter,  having  alluded  to  theological 
controversies  as  to  original  sin  and  the  atonement, 
and  recommended  to  get  the  views  of  distinguished 

Edwards.  21 


482  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS.  D.  D. 

theologians,  "not  by  hearsay,  but  by  a  careful  perusal 
of  their  works,"  he  says,  "  The  Bible,  on  these  and  other 
subjects,  is  all  just  right ;  and  that  is  the  only  book, 
in  matter  and  manner,  probably,  that  is  so.  All  human 
standards  and  human  works  partake  of  the  imperfec 
tions  of  their  authors.  To  the  law  and  the  testimony 
every  thing  is  to  be  brought,  and  by  them  to  be  tried. 
If  they  speak  not  according  to  that  word,  they  are  to 
be  rejected.  It  is  important  to  be  biblical  in  manner 
as  well  as  in  matter,  to  catch  the  spirit  and  aspect  as 
well  as  the  sentiment  or  truth  of  the  Bible.  The 
truth  may  be  held  in  unrighteousness,  and  spoken  in 
contention,  hatred,  variance,  wrath,  emulation,  and 
strife,  instead  of  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gen 
tleness,  meekness,  goodness,  faith,  and  temperance. 
Let  a  minister  be  truly  mighty  in  the  Scriptures,  not 
in  the  letter  merely,  that  killeth,  if  alone ;  or  in  the 
literature  and  critical  verbal  philology,  that  puffeth 
up ;  but  in  the  spirit,  that  giveth  life :  let  the  word  of 
Christ  and  the  Spirit  of  Christ  dwell  in  him  richly  in 
all  wisdom  and  spiritual  understanding,  and  then  will 
he  find  it  mighty  through  God  to  the  pulling  down  of 
strong-holds.  Make  God  your  principal  teacher,  if  you 
would  become  godlike  in  temper,  teaching,  and  suc 
cess." 

To  his  youngest  son,  in  Augusta,  Maine,  he  wrote 
from  Richmond,  Yirginia,  November  21, 1845,  "  If  you 
have  a  good  opportunity,  I  think  it  well  for  you  to 
get  a  knowledge  of  German ;  and  were  I  in  your  sit 
uation,  I  would  also  learn  Spanish  and  Italian,  which 
are  so  much  like  the  Latin  that  they  are  easily  obtain 
ed.  It  is  best  when  young  to  avail  ourselves  of  all 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  483 

practicable  means  of  acquiring  knowledge  ;  as  know 
ledge  is  power,  and  power  to  do  good.  This  was  otie 
trait  in  President  D wight,  in  which  every  young  man 
would  do  well  to  imitate  him — his  diligence  and  per 
severance,  even  to  the  -end  of  life,  in  acquiring  know 
ledge  ;  and  not  merely  from  books,  but  from  men.  He 
freely  mingled  with  men  of  all  classes,  and  made  inqui 
ries,  especially  on  subjects  with  which  they  were  par 
ticularly  acquainted — of  shoemakers  concerning  shoes, 
of  gardeners  concerning  gardens,  of  mechanics  con 
cerning  their  business,  of  mercantile  men  concerning 
their?,  etc.  He  spent  his  vacations  in  journeys  for 
such  purposes,  which  kept  him  in  good  health ;  and 
his  History  of  New  England  is  the  result,  while  his 
Lectures  on  Theology,  a  book  worthy  of  the  attentive 
study  of  every  young  man,  are  probably  better  than 
they  otherwise  would  have  been. 

"  The  book  of  God,  a  portion  of  which  should  be 
attentively  read  daily,  with  prayer  for  the  teaching  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  works  of  God,  are  the  great 
sources  of  the  most  important  knowledge,  even  that 
knowledge  of  himself  which  is  life  to  the  soul." 

He  writes  again,  January  17,  from  Louisville,  Ken 
tucky  :  "I  send  you  herewith  a  pamphlet  written  by 
Prof.  Hodge,  concerning  the  late  Prof.  Dod,  which  I 
think  is  very  interesting.  Prof.  Dod  was  one  of  the 
ablest  men  of  New  Jersey.  I  read  from  his  pen,  in 
the  Princeton  Repertory  of  October  last,  a  review  of 
the  'Vestiges  of  Creation.'  It  was  the  last  thing 
which  he  wrote,  and  is  very  able.  I  should  like  to 
have  you  read  it,  if  you  have  opportunity.  He  takes 
occasion  to  remark  on  mesmerism.  Perhaps  Dr.  Tap- 


484  UEV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

pan  may  take  the  work,  and  will  lend  it  to  you.  The 
remarks  which  he  makes  about  the  kind  of  minds  that 
embrace  mesmerism,  phrenology,  etc.,  are  deserving 
of  attention.  It  is  ordinarily  not  wise  to  occupy  our 
minds  or  devote  our  energies  much  to  those  unaccount- 
ables  which  tend  to  weaken,  bewilder,  darken,  and 
perplex,  rather  than  to  invigorate,  strengthen,  purify, 
and  elevate.  There  are  boundaries  to  human  know 
ledge,  and  very  much  of  real  improvement  depends 
upon  seeing  distinctly  what  those  boundaries  are,  and 
keeping,  in  all  our  efforts,  within  them. 

"Many  things  which  are  true,  we  in  this  life  can 
never  know.  Life  is  too  short  to  acquire  the  know 
ledge,  or  we  may  not  need  it  here.  It  is  needful 
therefore,  if  we  would  turn  life  to  the  best  account, 
to  make  a  selection,  and  employ  our  energies  upon 
those  subjects  with  regard  to  which  we  may  obtain 
real  knowledge,  and  knowledge  which  we  can  make 
useful,  and  which  tends  to  benefit  our  own  minds  and 
the  minds  of  others.  In  the  case  of  Prof.  Dod,  we  see 
very  clearly  what  is,  in  the  hour  of  trial,  '  the  one  thing 
needful]  and  that  in  comparison  with  which,  all  others 
may  be  said,  in  a  sense,  to  be  needless.  That  you, 
like  him,  may  have  in  your  last  days  that  'peace  of 
God7  which  passeth  all  understanding,  is  the  prayer  of 
"  Your  affectionate  father." 

To  his  eldest  son,  then  a  merchant  at  New  Or 
leans,  he  wrote,  February  8, 1847,  prudent  counsels  as 
to  his  business  and  worldly  concerns  ;  advising  him  to 
such  a  distinct  written  agreement  with  his  partner, 
that  in  case  of  the  death  of  one  of  the  firm  there 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  485 

should  not  be  ground  for  litigation,  and  to  make  his 
will,  on  which  point  he  says  : 

"  Some  people  have  a  reluctance  to  making  a  will, 
as  it  seems  as  if  they  were  going  to  die.  But  they 
will  not  die  any  sooner,  on  account  of  having  a  will ; 
and  it  may  prevent  many  evils,  after  they  are  dead. 
Among  the  worst  contentions  in  families,  have  some 
times  been  those  which  have  arisen  about  the  property 
of  deceased  relatives.  And  where  they  do  not  differ, 
they  often  feel  dissatisfied. 

"  With  a  good  knowledge  of  business,  diligent  and 
economical  habits,  and  a  virtuous  character,"  he  adds, 
"  a  man  may  get  as  much  money  as  will  be  likely  to 
do  him  any  good.  We  should  not  expect  to  be  made 
happy  by  the  things  of  this  world.  All  that  they 
can  do  for  us  is,  to  supply  our  temporal  wants  as 
we  pass  rapidly  through  it.  We  need  to  be  in  such 
a  state  of  mind  as  to  be  happy,  when  we  leave  this 
world  and  all  that  there  is  in  it,  in  that  endless  state 
of  being  which  is  to  follow  this  short  and  uncertain 
life.  And  as  we  know  not,  and  cannot  know  when 
we  shall  come  to  the  close  of  life,  preparation  for 
that  should,  with  each  one,  be  the  first  and  great  con 
cern. 

"  I  feel  very  desirous  that  you  should  daily  think 
of  the  goodness  of  God,  and  cultivate  towards  him 
an  increasingly  grateful  spirit.  Ingratitude  is  a  very 
hateful  sin,  and  exceedingly  injurious  to  the  soul; 
while  gratitude  is  not  only  a  duty,  but  a  source  of  the 
purest  joy.  '  What  shall  I  render  unto  the  Lord  for 
all  his  goodness  ?'  is  a  question  proper  for  us  all ;  and 
nothing  can  -be  more  suitable,  than  that  we  should 


486  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

daily  praise  him  for  his  kindness  to  ourselves  and  our 
fellow-men . 

"I  feel  that  we,  as  a  family,  have  great  reason  to 
praise  him,  that  he  has  preserved  the  lives  of  all, 
healed  them  in  sickness,  rescued  them  in  danger,  and 
continued  them  till  grown  to  men's  and  women's 
estate ;  that  he  has  rendered  them  kind  and  affection 
ate  to  their  parents,  and  to  one  another,  and  is  giving 
them  opportunity  and  disposition  to  be  diligent  in 
some  useful  business,  and  to  provide  for  themselves  in 
the  world  j  that  he  has  led  four  of  them  to  hope  that 
they  have  experienced  of  his  grace,  and  to  acknow 
ledge  him  as  their  Saviour  before  the  world.  If  he 
should  lead  the  other  two  to  believe  on  Jesus  Christ 
as  their  Saviour,  and  to  devote  their  lives  to  honoring 
him,  and  doing  good  by  the  keeping  of  his  commands, 
our  cup  of  blessings  would  seem  to  be  full;  and  we  should 
be  under  renewed  obligations  to  bless  him  for  ever. 

"Never  till  you  are  a  parent  will  you  know  how 
much  pleasure  it  gives  us  to  hear  from  you." 

To  the  compiler  he  wrote,  August  18,  1846  :  "My 
object  in  preparing  a  *  NATIONAL  SABBATH  MANUAL  ' 
was  to  write,  if  possible,  in  such  a  manner  as  should 
be  attractive,  true,  and  convincing.  The  accounts  which 
I  receive  from  various  parts  of  the  country,  give  me 
increasing  reason  to  hope  that  the  object  which  I  had 
in  view  will,  through  grace,  be  in  some  measure  ac 
complished.  A  distinguished  civilian  informs  me  that 
his  friend,  and  I  believe  not  a  religious  person,  told 
him  that  after  beginning  to  read  the  Manual,  it  was 
impossible  to  leave  it  till  it  was  finished.  I  hope  it 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  487 

may  be  found  so  with  many.  Mr.  Bliss  told  me  the 
other  day  that  he  should  want  ten  thousand  a  month. 

"I  have  now  just  prepared  a  'NATIONAL  TEMPER 
ANCE  MANUAL/  after  repeated  requests  from  distin 
guished  individuals  to  do  so.  Should  the  Committee 
think  proper,  I  have  thought  that  it  might  be  well  to 
have  it  printed  by  the  Tract  Society,  in  the  same  form 
with  the  Sabbath  Manual,  to  go  with  it  into  every 
family  in  the  nation.  The  object  is  to  set  the  public 
conscience  right  on  that  subject,  with  a  view  to  an 
enlightened,  permanent,  kind,  ever-growing  moral  influ 
ence,  till  no  one,  not  abandoned,  shall  think  of  making 
money  by  the  sale  of  that  which  corrupts  and  destroys 
his  fellow-men.  My  object  has  been  to  embody  prin 
ciples,  and  illustrate  them  by  facts  in  such  a  manner 
that  every  child  as  he  grows  up  may  become  acquainted 
with  them  and  act  accordingly ;  and  we  wish,  in  all 
practicable  ways,  to  get  them  out  before  the  mind  of  the, 
nation. 

"  Perhaps  when  we  get  ready,  if  Providence  per 
mit,  they  may  to  great  advantage  be  followed  by  a 
'NATIONAL  BIBLICAL  MANUAL/  the  object  of  which 
shall  be,  to  point  out  in  a  kind,  plain,  convincing 
manner,  the  reason  why  every  person  who  has  a  soul 
should  be  taught  to  read,  and  own  a  Bible,  and  also  the 
manner  in  which  he  should  treat  it,  in  order  to  be 
saved." 

In  the  winter  of  1847-48,  Dr.  Edwards  made  a 
tour  of  some  months  in  the  southern  and  south-western 
states,  laboring  chiefly  in  the  cities  and  principal  towns 
of  Alabama,  Louisiana,  and  Mississippi,  meeting  legis 
latures,  the  conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 


488  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

church  and  other  clerical  bodies,  and  preaching  and 
delivering  addresses.  When  at  Montgomery,  Alabama, 
he  wrote  to  the  American  Tract  Society,  January  21, 
1848: 

"In  passing  over  the  southern  and  south  western 
parts  of  our  country,  I  have  been  more  and  more 
deeply  impressed  with  the  vast  importance  of  the  Col 
porteur  enterprise.  Without  being  scattered  abroad 
by  persecution,  as  were  the  first  disciples,  yet,  like 
them,  the  colporteurs  go  l  everywhere,  preaching  the 
word/  and  like  apostles  preach  it  'from  house  to 
house.'  If  they  were  obliged  to  be  scattered  'every 
where  '  by  persecution,  we  should  rejoice  in  their  do 
ing  this ;  that  is,  talking  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the  way 
of  salvation  through  him,  and  even  entreating  men 
1  with  tears/  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  and  thus  preach 
ing  the  gospel  to  'every  creature'  in  every  kitchen 
and  parlor  to  which  they  should  be  invited.  Much 
more  may  we  rejoice  when  well-qualified  men  are 
found  to  do  this  only  from  love  to  Christ  and  to 
souls. 

"  While  there  are  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands 
who  are,  and  till  they  die  must  be  destitute  of  the 
stated  preaching  of  the  gospel  from  educated,  regular, 
and  ordained  ministers,  who  would  not  say,  let  them 
have  statedly,  till  they  can  get  better,  such  preachers 
as  Baxter  and  Bunyan,  Doddridge  and  Flavel,  and 
Paul?  No  colporteur  should  pass  a  house  that  is  not 
supplied,  without  leaving  the  works  of  inspired  men, 
who  spoke  and  wrote  as  they  were  directed  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.  And  not  a  family,  on  the  mountain  or 
in  the  valley,  should  be  suffered  to  continue  without 


•   HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  489 

being  visited  by  some  man  of  God,  who,  like  his 
Master,  is  '  going  about  doing  good.' 

"  The  Sabbath  Manual  I  find  in  many  families ;  and 
in  view  of  what  I  see,  I  have  often  wished  that  the 
Temperance  Manual  had  gone  with  it ;  for  rum,  whiskey, 
and  brandy  drinkers  will  break  the  Sabbath,  and  Sab 
bath-breakers  will  neglect  the  Bible,  and  neglecters 
of  the  Bible  will  disobey  God. 

"My  ears  have  often  been  greeted  with  the  enco 
miums  which  have  been  bestowed  in  different  places  on 
the  colporteurs  who  passed  that  way,  and  my  heart 
delighted  to  hear  it  so  often  repeated,  in  widely  dis 
tant  sections  of  country,  *  I  presume  the  one  who  came 
along  here,  was  one  of  the  best  of  them.'  Thousands 
will  bless  God  for  ever  for  the  colporteur,  who  left 
his  home  and  wandered  far  over  mountain  and  vale, 
through  forest  and  flood,  to  visit  the  parent  and  the 
child,  to  sell  them  good  books,  if  they  could  buy,  and 
if  not,  to  give  them,  especially  that  book  of  books  the 
Bible. 

"Let  men  cease  to  poison  themselves  with  the 
drunkard's  drink,  confine  their  secular  business  and 
cares  to  six  days  in  a  week,  and  keep  the  seventh 
holy ;  let  each  one  that  has  a  soul  be  taught  the  art 
of  reading,  that  speaking-trumpet  of  the  Almighty, 
and  let  him  hear  daily  his  Father  in  heaven  speaking 
to  him  l  words  by  which  he  may  be  saved ;'  let  him 
look  up  for  the  Holy  Spirit  to  Him  who  hath  said, 
'Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you/  and  each  one  may 
become  wise  to  salvation,  and  learn  the  heavenly  art 
of  living,  not  unto  himself,  but  unto  Him  who  died  for 
him,  and  of  doing  to  others  as  he  ought  to  wish  that 


490  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWAUDS,  D.D. 

others  should  do  to  him.  Then  will  all  live  together 
as  brethren  ;  tasting  and  seeing  that  the  Lord  is  good, 
and  feeling  that  he  doth  indeed  'magnify  his  word 
above  all  his  name.' " 

Visiting  New  Orleans,  where  he  met  his  eldest 
son,  and  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  his  pastor  Rev.  Dr. 
Scott,  he  says,  "  Nothing  but  the  mercy  and  grace  of 
God  can  save  us  from  sore  and  desolating  judgments  ; 
for  the  wickedness  of  men  is  great,  and  their  sins  cry 
to  heaven.  But  the  Lord  is  good,  his  tender  mercies 
are  over  all,  and  thus  far  he  waits,  not  willing  that 
men  should  perish,  but  come  to  repentance.  Many 
are  the  indications  that  he  is  working  with  us.  Let 
us  therefore  be  steadfast,  immovable,  always  abound 
ing  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  inasmuch  as  by  faith 
we  know  that  our  labor  shall  not  be  in  vain  in  the 
Lord." 

Proceeding  from  Memphis,  Tenn.,  up  the  Ohio  river, 
he  wrote  Mrs.  Edwards  from  Cincinnati,  March  7  :  "I 
arrived  here  on  Saturday.  The  weather  was  cold  and 
snowy.  I  had  been  somewhat  threatened  during  the 
day,  and  went  to  the  Broadway  hotel.  Before  morn 
ing  I  was  attacked  as  at  Lowell,"  (in  October,  1847, 
with  an  internal  inflammation,)  "though  in  a  much 
milder  form.  In  the  morning  sent  for  Dr.  Mussey,  and 
in  five  minutes  was  relieved ;  have  since  been  gaining, 
and  am  now  about  as  comfortable  as  I  was  about  a 
week  after  I  came  from  Lowell.  Six  ministers  and 
a  number  of  others  called  to  see  me  on  Monday,  and 
had  me  removed  from  the  hotel  to  Mr.  Funk's  in 
Yine-street,  where  I  have  every  accommodation  which 
I  can  desire.  Mr.  Funk  says  he  heard  me  preach 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  491 

eight  or  ten  years  ago,  and  the  next  day  made  terrible 
havoc  among  the  whiskey  barrels,  and  in  a  month 
there  was  not  a  whiskey  seller  in  their  church." 

On  the  7th  of  September,  1848,  Dr.  Edwards  had 
the  high  satisfaction  of  uniting  with  his  beloved  breth 
ren  in  the  ministry,  in  the  ordination  and  installation 
of  his  second  son,  Jonathan,  as  pastor  of  a  large  and 
important  church,  in  Woburn,  ten  miles  from  Boston, 
on  which  occasion  he  delivered  the  charge  to  the  pas 
tor,  commending  to  him  THE  BIBLE  as  the  fountain  of 
all  truth,  the  theme  of  his  preaching,  the  guide  of  his 
ministry  and  his  life. 

CLOSING-  WORDS  ON  THE  SABBATH,  AND  ON 

TEMPERANCE. 

In  the  autumn  of  1848,  he  wrote  the  compiler, 
sending  fifty  dollars,  for  stereotyping  the  Temperance 
Manual  in  Spanish,  and  said,  "  We  have  put  a  copy 
of  the  whole  of  both  the  Sabbath  and  Temperance 
Manuals  into  every  family  in  Andover,  and  given  one 
to  every  young  man  who  is  at  work  for  himself  and 
disconnected  from  the  family  of  his  father ;  making  in 
all,  with  one  to  each  member  of  the  seminary  and  acad 
emy,  eighteen  hundred  copies  of  each" 

Again  he  writes  from  Boston:  "A  copy  of  the 
Temperance  and  Sabbath  Manuals,  and  a  New  Testa 
ment,  I  hope  may  yet  be  put  into  the  hand  of  every 
immigrant  that  reaches  our  shores;  especially  every 
one  who  can  read ;  together  with  a  Biblical  Manual, 
showing  them  the  nature  of  the  Bible  and  the  manner 
of  treating  it,  which  will  prepare  them  for,  and  carry 
them  to  heaven.  The  same  should  be  done  for  every 


492  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

family  visited  by  colporteurs  or  missionaries.  And  I 
hope  that  the  time  will  soon  come,  when  the  Tract 
Society  will  furnish  all  the  books  which  they  through 
their  agents  can  circulate.  I  wish  to  see  them  in  a 
race  with  all  others,  as  to  the  furnishing  of  the  above 
for  every  family  in  the  United  States.  If  you  have 
not  room  enough  to  furnish  all  fast  enough,  why  not 
put  on  another  story  on  your  building,  and  multiply 
your  presses  and  workmen  accordingly  ?  The  '  Amer 
ican  Messenger '  comes  richly  freighted,  and  is  doing 
a  great  and  good  work.  Hold  on,  look  up,  and  move 
onward. 

"  Yesterday  was  a  beautiful  day,  and  all  seemed  to 
rejoice  greatly  that  they  are  henceforward  to  have 
in  Boston  an  abundance  of  good,  clear,  fresh  water. 
And  they  have  reason  to  rejoice.  It  is  a  greater 
blessing  than  any  imagine.  Yet  he  that  drinketh  of 
this  water  shall  thirst  again :  but  he  that  drinketh  of 
the  water  which  we  may  be  instrumental  in  communi 
cating  to  as  many  millions  as  there  were  thousands  in 
Boston  yesterday,  shall  never  thirst ;  and  it  shall  be  in 
him  a  well  of  water  springing  up  unto  everlasting 
life." 

February  5, 1849,  he  wrote  from  "Washington  city : 
"  Our  meetings  here  yesterday,  both  in  the  morning 
and  at  night,  were  intensely  interesting ;"  and,  in  the 
name  of  several  gentlemen,  he  requests  that  a  copy  of 
the  Sabbath  Manual  might  be  sent  to  each  member  of 
Congress.  "They  think,"  he  says,  "that  the  facts 
would  be  of  great  service  ;  and  that  the  book  coming 
after  the  subject  has  been  presented  to  an  overflowing 
congregation  in  the  capitol,  would  be  read,  be  carried 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  493 

home,  or  sent  by  members  of  Congress  to  influential 
constituents,  and  thus  do  great  good.  I  suppose  that 
there  are  about  sixty  Senators,  and  two  hundred  and 
thirty  members  of  the  House.  There  has  evidently 
been  a  great  change  for  the  better  within  a  few  years 
in  this  city,  with  regard  to  the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath ; 
adding  another  to  the  very  numerous  evidences,  that 
wherever  this  subject  is  presented,  as  in  that  Manual, 
it  commends  itself  to  every  man's  conscience  in  the 
sight  of  God." 

"  Mr.  Delavan,  of  Albany,"  he  again  writes,  "  has 
concluded  to  print  one  hundred  thousand  of  the  Sab 
bath  Document,  to  be  distributed  to  stockholders  and 
those  who  travel  on  the  railroads  from  Albany  to 
Buffalo,  to  prepare  the  way  for  all  the  cars  to  stop 
running  on  the  Sabbath." 

At  another  date  he  says,  "  Might  it  not  be  well  to 
have  prefixed  to  the  Temperance  Manual,"  (similar  to 
what  had  been  already  prefixed  to  the  Sabbath  Man 
ual,)  "  something  like  the  following,  namely  : 

'"Every  minister  of  the  gospel  into  whose  hands 
this  Manual  shall  come,  is  respectfully  requested, 
should  it  appear  to  him  to  be  adapted  to  be  useful,  on 
the  Sabbath  to  preach  a  sermon  to  his  people,  and 
exhibit  the  biblical  principles  in  their  application  to 
the  subject  of  Temperance,  in  its  connection  with 
righteousness  and  judgment  to  come  ;  and  to  open  the 
way  to  put  a  copy  of  this  Manual  into  every  family  in 
his  congregation.' 

"  In  that  way  might  we  not  secure  the  preaching 
of  ten  thousand  sermons  forthwith  on  the  Sabbath/ro?7t 
the  ministers;  which  is  just  what  the  Temperance  cause 


494  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

now  needs,  and  thus  open  the  way  for  the  circulation 
forthwith  of  one  hundred  thousand  Temperance  Manu 
als.  And  if  you  cannot  afford  to  send  a  Manual  to 
every  minister  gratis,  then  print  it  on  a  sheet  like  the 
Messenger,  and  send  it  to  them,  and  we  will  pay  $100 
to  circulate  it  in  that  form ;  and  we  will  also  pay 
$100  to  circulate  part  first  of  the  Sabbath  Manual  in 
the  same  way."  He  suggested  also,  that  students 
from  theological  seminaries  might  employ  their  vaca 
tions  in  circulating  these  documents. 

To  Rev.  0.  Eastman,  and  Rev.  R.  S.  Cook,  Sec 
retaries  of  the  Tract  Society,  he  wrote  frequently, 
encouraging  the  widest  circulation  of  the  Sabbath  and 
Temperance  Manuals  in  all  the  channels  of  the  Socie 
ty's  distributions,  partly  at  the  expense  of  the  Sabbath 
Union. 

"Should  it  be  consistent,"  he  says,  "for  the  Com 
mittee  to  say  to  me,  that  for  every  hundred  dollars 
which  I  shall  pay  them  for  that  purpose,  they  will  put 
in  circulation  ten  thousand  copies  of  the  Sabbath  Man 
ual,  to  the  amount  of  one,  two,  or  three  hundred  thou 
sand  copies  a  year,  perhaps  I  may  be  able  to  raise 
some  money  for  that  purpose,  and  in  that  way  we  may 
perhaps  enlarge  the  circulation.  The  Sabbath  effort 
is  like  the  purifying  of  the  air  of  a  great  country,  in 
its  influence  on  the  health  of  the  people.  It  is  better 
to  purify  the  air,  and  so  keep  the  people  well,  than  to 
let  them  get  sick,  and  then  send  in  the  doctors  to  cure 
them.  In  proportion  as  we  get  the  Sabbath  observed, 
we  increase  the  number  of  readers  of  the  Bible,  tracts, 
and  all  good  books ;  and  the  number  also  who  attend 
public  worship,  hear  the  gospel,  and  come  under  the 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  495 

divinely  appointed  means  of  grace ;  and  the  efficacy 
of  all  other  means  will  thereby  be  greatly  increased. 
Of  course,  to  make  special  efforts  for  the  universal  ob 
servance  of  the  Sabbath,  is  in  the  highest  degree  philo 
sophical,  biblical,  and  economical,  with  reference  to  the 
salvation  of  men." 

On  the  23d  of  January,  1850,  he  wrote  again: 
"The  object  of  the  American  and  Foreign  Sabbath 
Union,  in  the  donation  of  $1,000,  which  they  have 
this  year  made  to  the  American  Tract  Society,  and 
in  the  donation  of  $1,320,  which  they  have  previously 
made,  for  the  distribution  of  the  Sabbath  Manual, 
was,  to  enable  the  Tract  Society  so  to  supply  all  their 
colporteurs  with  it,  that  they  might  place  a  copy  of 
one  or  more  of  the  parts  of  that  Manual  in  every 
family,  at  the  cost  of  it  wherever  the  receivers  are 
able  and  willing  to  pay,  and  gratuitously  where  they 
are  not ;  with  a  few  words  of  good  advice  as  to  the 
benefits  that  will  result  to  them  and  their  children, 
from  the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath.  The  same  also,  as 
far  as  practicable,  they  wish  to  have  done  by  all  home 
or  domestic  missionaries;  that  in  the  least  possible 
time,  through  the  various  modes  of  circulation,  every 
family  in  the  United  States,  especially  in  the  new 
settlements  and  on  the  frontiers,  may  be  supplied  with 
a  copy.  Should  all  the  children  of  our  country  grow 
up  with  a  knowledge  of  the  principles  and  facts  em 
bodied  in  that  Manual,  exhibiting  the  will  of  God,  as 
manifested  in  his  works,  his  word,  and  his  providence, 
with  regard  to  the  Sabbath-day,  we  cannot  but  hope 
that  through  his  blessing,  this  will  be  a  Sabbath-keep 
ing  nation  to  the  end  of  time." 


496  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

The  Tract  Society  cooperated  in  all  these  plans, 
and  reported  to  him  that  of  different  parts  or  numbers 
of  the  Sabbath  Manual,  they  had  circulated  684,741 
copies  in  English,  8,277  in  German,  1,718  in  French, 
and  5,146  in  Spanish,  making  a  total  circulation  of 
699,882  copies  ;  and  that  these  included  grants  to  the 
value  of  $2,421  77,  for  the  supply  of  emigrants  at  Buf 
falo,  Pittsburgh,  and  other  great  thoroughfares,  and 
for  missionaries,  clergymen,  and  others,  exclusive  of 
grants  by  their  colporteurs  ;  and  that  it  was  believed 
the  colporteurs  had  circulated  gratuitously  not  far 
from  an  equal  amount. 

In  a  circular  letter  written  by  Dr.  Edwards,  Jan 
uary  24,  1851,  requesting  funds  to  aid  in  circulating 
the  Sabbath  Manual,  he  states  that  of  the  first  part 
541,000  had  been  printed,  and  of  all  the  other  parts 
in  four  languages  634,000,  making  one  million  one  hun 
dred  and  seventy-five  thousand  copies. 

During  the  whole  of  Dr.  Edwards'  labors  for  the 
Sabbath,  he  lent  his  aid,  in  all  practicable  ways,  to 
the  cause  of  Temperance  /  acting  on  the  Committee  of 
the  Temperance  Society,  and  identified  with  its  inter 
ests  from  the  time  of  its  formation  till  his  death. 

Of  the  Temperance  Manual,  which  had  been  trans 
lated  into  German,  French,  and  Spanish,  the  Hon. 
JOHN  McLEAN,  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States,  wrote  him,  December  17,  1847,  "I  feel 
the  greatest  interest  in  saying,  that  I  have  never  pe 
rused  a  treatise  on  the  subject  which  condensed  in  so 
few  pages  so  many  facts  and  arguments  so  unanswer 
able,  against  intemperance.  No  one  can  read  this 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  497 

little  work,  who  wishes  well  to  his  species  and  his 
country,  and  not  ardently  desire  to  see  a  copy  of  it 
in  the  hands  of  every  family  in  the  United  States.  It 
would  have  a  powerful  effect  to  render  odious,  to  the 
rising  generation,  the  ruinous  vice  of  intemperance  ; 
and  indeed,  its  influence  would  be  salutary  on  all 
whose  sensibilities  are  not  blunted  or  destroyed  by  a 
criminal  indulgence  in  the  use  of  ardent  spirit's." 

At  the  close  of  the  years  1847  and  1849,  Dr.  Ed 
wards  wrote  brief  reports  of  the  American  Temper 
ance  Society,  which  were  published  in  the  religious 
papers,  and  in  which  we  have  his  mature  judgment 
and  testimony  on  the  subject  of  that  enterprise,  after 
abundant  labors  and  careful  observation  for  thirty 
years. 

"  The  Temperance  reformation,"  he  says,  "  was  be 
gun  for  the  purpose  of  removing  that  mighty  obstruction 
which  the  using  of  intoxicating  liquors  as  a  beverage 
occasions  to  the  efficacy  of  the  gospel  and  the  means  of 
grace.  It  was  carried  forward  for  years  principally 
by  religious  men,  and  urged  by  religious  motives.  It 
then  received  the  manifest  approbation  of  heaven,  and 
the  efforts  which  were  made  were  crowned  with  great 
success.  Such  motives  must  always  lie  at  the  founda 
tion  of  this  great  moral  reformation.  They  are  the 
only  motives  that  go  deep  enough  to  produce  permanent, 
ever-growing  results.  They  are  also  the  only  motives 
which  we  can  expect  will  be  so  attended  with  the 
influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  to  be  rendered  in  the 
highest  degree  successful." 

Acknowledging  the  good  service  which  many  re 
formed  drunkards  had  done  in  their  narratives  of  their 


495  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

own  appalling  history,  and  the  influence  they  might 
still  have  in  reforming  others,  yet  he  says,  "Wherever 
the  work  has  been  left  solely  or  principally  to  them, 
its  progress  has  soon  ceased  to  be  onward.  Sober 
men  who  never  were  drunkards,  educated  men,  pro 
fessional  men,  ministers  of  the  gospel,  and  all  sorts  of 
good  men,  must  come  up  to  the  work.  The  Bible 
must  be  put  in  requisition,  and  the  sanctions  of  relig 
ion  as  well  as  morality,  of  eternity  as  well  as  time, 
must  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  hearts  of  men.  The 
voice  of  God,  as  well  as  of  men,  must  be  heard  by 
drunkards,  and  drunkard-makers,  and  those  who  use 
the  drunkard's  drink.  The  motives  which  He  has 
revealed,  as  manifested  in  his  works,  his  word,  and 
his  providence,  drawn  from  heaven,  earth,  and  hell, 
must  urge  upon  them  his  heartfelt  entreaty,  'Turn  ye, 
turn  ye  from  your  evil  ways ;  for  why  will  ye  die  ?7 

"  Men  may  crowd  temperance  meetings  to  be  amus 
ed,  or  to  enjoy  the  luxury  of  strongly  excited  feelings. 
They  may  hear  the  statement  of  the  drunkard's  follies 
and  woes,  and  the  agonies  of  his  starving  wife  and 
dying  children ;  or  they  may  hear  the  follies  of  the 
drunkard,  and  the  pretended  ardent  friendship  for 
temperance  of  the  drunkard-makers  held  up  to  ridi 
cule,  while  the  mind  is  not  enlightened,  the  conscience 
not  aroused,  and  the  heart  not  healthfully  or  perma 
nently  impressed.  There  must  be  truth,  the  truth  of 
God,  and  it  must  be  spoken  in  love.  It  must  be 
attended  by  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven, 
and  convince  men  of  the  sin  as  well  as  the  folly  of 
intemperance,  and  of  aiding  and  abetting  it  in  any 
way.  The  motives  which  are  urged  to  induce  men 


HIS  LABORS  FOR  THE  SABBATH.  499 

to  cease  from  this,  as  well  as  other  sins,  should  be 
drawn  from,  and  presented  in  the  light  of  the  cross. 

"  It  should  also  be  understood  by  all,  that  the  peo 
ple  in  their  civil  capacity,  who  do  not  wish  longer  to 
suffer  the  evils  of  the  liquor  traffic,  have  a  perfect  right, 
through  the  legislature,  that  right  arm  of  the  people  which 
God  has  provided  for  that  purpose,  to  defend  themselves 
against  the  nuisance.  This  mode  of  self-defence  is  in 
accordance  with  the  Bible,  with  the  constitution  of 
the  nation,  and  of  the  several  states.  It  is  required 
by  a  due  regard  to  the  great  interests  of  the  people, 
and  their  children.  Nor  have  liquor-sellers  any  right, 
in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of  the  people,  to  force  the 
evils  of  this  ungodly  traffic  upon  them.  It  is  a  viola 
tion  of  the  rights  of  humanity,  and  a  vicious  way  of 
making  money.  Every  people  who  have  the  power, 
have  also  the  right  to  defend  themselves  and  their 
children  against  this  evil.  And  those  who  do  their 
duty  to  themselves  or  their  children,  their  country  or 
their  God,  will  not  draw  back  till  this  work  be  accom 
plished." 

September  1,  1851,  he  wrote  to  E.  C.  Delavan, 
Esq.,  "  If  we  can  keep  at  work,  all  hands,  we  shall  in 
due  time  secure  effectual  legislative  defence;  but  in  order 
to  this,  there  must  be  a  steady,  regular,  and  long 
course  of  wise,  '  patient  continuance  in  well-doing/  by 
the  old,  substantial,  and  long-tried  friends  of  temper 
ance,  who  'in  all  their  ways  acknowledge  God/  and 
act  in  the  spirit  and  under  the  influence  of  the  gospel, 
and  for  the  purpose  of  honoring  God  in  the  salvation 
of  men." 

Mr.  Delavan,  in  enclosing  the  above,  says,  "  This 


500  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

letter  was  the  last  of  the  many  which  I  received  dur 
ing  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  from  my  dearly 
beloved  departed  friend.  Under  God,  I  owe  to  him, 
and  to  a  few  others  of  the  same  nobility  of  soul,  a 
deep  debt  of  gratitude.  And  now,  at  this  important 
crisis  of  the  same  reform  to  which  he  devoted  so  many 
years  of  his  life,  and  in  which  I  feel  it  to  be  my  duty 
and  privilege  still  to  labor,  I  miss,  and  that  greatly, 
the  counsel  and  advice,  always  so  full  of  wisdom, 
which  he  was,  when  asked,  so  ready  to  give.  He  has 
been  to  me  a  faithful  friend  and  wise  counsellor.  I 
feel  that  I  have  lost  a  brother.  I  always  looked  for 
ward  to  his  yearly  visits  with  great  pleasure :  he 
brought  and  left  a  blessing." 


HIS  COMMENT  ON  THE  BIBLE.  501 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

HIS   COMMENT   ON  THE  BIBLE,   AS   GOD'S   GIFT 
FOR  ALL  MEN. 

FOUR  YEARS— 1849-1853. 

WE  have  seen  that  to  give  THE  BIBLE  to  all,  with 
the  best  incitements  and  helps  to  read  and  understand 
it,  had  long  been  a  prominent  object  before  the  mind 
of  Dr.  Edwards.  When  earnestly  seeking  his  own 
salvation  without  the  knowledge  of  any  minister  or 
private  Christian,  the  word  of  God  was  precious  to 
him.  It  was  so  in  pursuing  theological  study ;  it  was 
so  in  his  labors  as  pastor,  and  in  his  Bible-classes ; 
and  at  the  turning-points  of  his  life,  both  in  1829  and 
1842,  he  seriously  considered  the  question  of  devoting 
his  undivided  energies  to  the  object  of  its  being  uni 
versally  circulated,  and  prayerfully  and  profitably  read. 

We  are  now  to  see  how,  as  a  child  of  Providence, 
he  was  led  to  give  the  effective  energies  of  the  closing 
years  of  his  life  to  this  design,  second  in  importance 
perhaps  to  none  in  which  he  had  been  engaged,  though 
in  a  way  somewhat  different  from  that  which  he  seems 
to  have  planned. 

In  his  visits  to  all  parts  of  the  country  he  saw 
prevailing  destitution  and  negkct  of  the  Bible;  and 
while  pushing  the  circulation  of  his  own  Sabbath  and 
Temperance  Manuals,  and  enlisting  the  Tract  Society's 
colporteurs  and  other  agencies  to  circulate  them  by 


502  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

hundreds  of  thousands  of  copies,  the  idea  still  pressed 
itself  upon  him,  that  God's  inspired  word  had  yet 
higher  claims.  He  urged  upon  colporteurs  as  he 
met  them,  and  upon  the  officers  of  the  Society,  that 
every  family  found  destitute  should  be  supplied  with 
the  Bible  ;  and  when  he  learned  the  fact  that  the  col 
porteurs  of  that  Society,  on  whose  Committee  he  was 
still  acting,  were  turning  away  from  tens  of  thousands 
of  families  whose  distant  abodes  they  had  reached, 
and  leaving  them  unsupplied,  from  the  difficulty  of 
procuring  Bibles,  his  soul  was  stirred  within  him.  In 
all  delicate  and  proper  ways,  as  his  correspondence 
shows,  he  sought  to  remove  this  obstacle,  and  ulti 
mately  to  effect  the  more  universal  circulation  of  the 
Bible,  and  at  the  same  time  to  call  attention  to  its 
pages,  and  to  "  assist  common  readers  to  understand 
the  meaning  of  the  Holy  Spirit"  therein  conveyed. 

While  in  the  midst  of  his  labors  for  the  sanctifi- 
cation  of  the  Sabbath,  June  11,  1846,  he  wrote  to  an 
officer  of  the  American  Tract  Society  at  New  York : 

"It  appears  to  me  that  the  time  is  near,  when  it 
will  be  well  to  make  a  general  effort  to  instruct  every 
person  in  this  land  in  the  art  of  reading,  and  to  induce 
every  person  who  can  read  to  own  a  Bible,  and  to  treat 
it  in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  be  '  a  lamp  to  his  feet 
and  a  light  to  his  path.'  The  American  Tract  Soci 
ety  may,  by  that  time,  have  in  the  field  five  hundred 
colporteurs.  Among  the  books  they  circulate  might 
be,  and  should  be,  Bibles  and  Testaments  of  all  de 
scriptions,  and  as  low  as  they  can  be  printed.  If  each 
colporteur  should  put  in  circulation  one  thousand 
copies  annually,  they  might  thus  aid  in  giving  the 


/ 


-  '  TT  Iff  T  TT  **»*  "T?  d  T 

HIS  COMMENT  ON  THE  BIBLi  503 

f 

Bible  each  year  to  half  a  million  of  families.  I-  hope 
for  the  time  when  every  man,  bond  and  free,  ~ 
exercise  his  inalienable  right  to  hear  the  voice  of  his 
heavenly  Father,  and  in  the  words  which  '  the  Holy 
Ghost  teacheth;'  and  when  that  foul  libel  against 
God,  that  the  daily  reading  of  his  word  would  tend 
to  make  any  one  worse,  will  for  ever  cease. 

"If  the  London  convention  (the  Christian  Alli 
ance)  should  do  nothing  more  than  to  commenceybr^- 
with  an  effort  to  induce  every  person  on  earth  who 
can  read  to  own  a  Bible,  they  would  do  a  great  work. 

"  The  way  would  then  be  open  to  send  out  among 
all  who  do  own  a  Bible,  specific  directions  as  to  the 
manner  in  which  it  should  be  treated,  in  order  to 
guide  each  one  who  has  it  to  heaven,  through  that 
way  of  pleasantness  and  path  of  peace.  It  appears  to 
me  that  some  presentations  might  be  made  on  this 
subject,  which  might  be  carried  out  in  their  practical 
application,  through  the  medium  of  colporteurs  and 
others,  with  great  advantage  to  the  world." 

Two  years  and  a  half  later,  in  December,  1848,  he 
wrote  again :  "  Every  body  in  this  country  that  has  a 
soul  and  can  read,  should  as  soon  as  possible  have  a 
Bible,  and  a  brief,  lucid  statement  of  the  nature  of  the 
book,  the  right  manner  of  treating  it,  and  the  effect 
which  such  treatment  will,  through  grace,  have-  on 
him  for  both  worlds ;  and  then  a  few  words  in  the 
margin,  or  in  brief  notes,  which  may  express  the  mean 
ing  of  the  Holy  Ghost  more  plainly,  where  the  lan 
guage  is  obscure ;  and  we  may  all  expect,  that  in  the 
moral  renovation  of  this  world,  the  Lord  will  'mag 
nify  his  word  above  all  his  name.'  The  Tract  Society 


504  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  1). 

has  been  too  long  sending  out  for  Bible  truth,  the 
works  of  uninspired  men  merely.  It  is  time,  high 
time,  while  they  increase  the  works  of  good  men  a 
thousand-fold,  that  they  should  send  with  them  to 
every  man  who  has  it  not,  the  word  of  God,  perfect  as 
its  author,  the  standard  and  test  by  which  all  the 
works  of  men  are  to  be  tried :  that  each  one,  while 
reading  the  works  of  men,  may  '  search  the  Scriptures/ 
and  under  the  influence  of  their  divine  Author,  become 
wise  unto  salvation  through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus." 

Dr.  Edwards  having  a  table  in  the  office  of  the 
American  Tract  Society  at  Boston,  where  he  usually 
wrote  when  in  that  city,  conferred  freely  on  the  a]3ove 
subject  with  the  officers  of  that  Society;  and  their 
Executive  Committee,  December  6,  1848,  appointed 
the  late  lamented  Hon.  Simon  Greenleaf,  and  Rev.  E. 
N.  Kirk  and  Rev.  Seth  Bliss  a  special  committee  "to 
consider  the  importance  of  the  American  Tract  Soci 
ety's  publishing  a  Bible  and  New  Testament  with  brief 
explanatory  notes,  in  order  to  supply  their  colpor 
teurs  with  this  book  for  circulation."  The  report  of 
the  special  committee,  in  favor  of  the  object  proposed, 
was  adopted  December  13;  and  on  the  19th  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Kirk,  in  behalf  of  the  Society  in  Boston,  commend 
ed  the  subject  to  the  most  serious  attention  of  the 
Executive  Committee  of  the  Society  in  New  York, 
who  again  referred  it  to  a  special  committee,  consist 
ing  of  their  chairman  the  Rev.  Dr.  Knox,  the  Rev. 
Dr.  John  S.  Stone,  and  Rev.  William  A.  Hallock. 

While  this  special  committee  were  seeking  light, 
frequent  communications  were  held  with  Dr.  Ed 
wards,  who  wrote  from  Albany,  January  1,  1849  : 


HIS  COMMENT  ON  THE  BIBLE.  505 

"I  rejoice  that  the  Committee  are  taking  up  the 
subject  of  the  New  Testament.  It  is  high  time  that 
we  were  all  engaged,  heart  and  hand,  in  furnishing 
each  one  who  can  read,  with  a  copy. 

"  If  the  Lord  will,  I  shall  be  in  New  York  on  Sat 
urday  next,  and  shall  bring  what  I  shall  be  willing 
that  the  Committee  should  adopt  as  a  preface  for  the 
New  Testament,  if  they  think  proper.  I  do  not  wish, 
in  the  Testament  which  we  shall  print,  to  have  a  com 
mentary,  but  only  a  glossary,  or  dictionary,  or  rather 
an  instructor  to  teach  the  reader,  as  he  goes  along, 
the  meaning  of  certain  words  and  phrases  which  he 
might  not  understand,  such,  for  instance,  as  repent 
ance,  faith,  justification,  sanctification,  Pharisees,  He- 
rodians,  concision,  etc.  But  you  can  print  the  first 
hundred  thousand  immediately,  with  only  the  preface, 
and  by  the  time  those  are  gone,  the  notes  may  be 
ready." 

As  Dr.  Edwards  was  proceeding  from  Albany  to 
the  city  of  Washington  in  his  labors  for  the  Sabbath, 
he  stopped  in  New.  York,  conferred  on  the  subject  of 
the  comment,  prepared  some  specimen  notes,  and  sub 
mitted  the  following  draft  of  a  preface,  such  as  might 
perhaps  be  prefixed  to  the  New  Testament. 

"  This  book  is  the  word  of  God.  In  it  he  makes 
known  to  men  his  character  and  will.  It  is  all  given 
by  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  is  profitable ; 
teaching  men  what  to  believe  ;  showing  them  in  what 
they  are  wrong ;  instructing  them  in  what  is  right ; 
and  leading  them,  through  the  grace  of  God,  to  do  it. 
Although  written  by  men,  God  directed  them  what  to 

Edwardi.  22 


506  REV.  JUSTIN    EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

write  and  how  to  write  it,  that  as  a  rule  of  human 
faith  and  conduct  it  might  be  perfect.  Having  been 
all  written,  not  in  words  taught  by  the  wisdom  of 
men,  but  the  wisdom  of  God,  it  is  '  perfect,  converting 
the  soul ;  sure,  making  wise  the  simple ;  and  right,  re 
joicing  the  heart.'  Of  course  a  knowledge  of  this  book 
is  more  to  be  desired  than  gold,  even  much  fine  gold  ; 
because  in  understanding,  believing,  and  obeying  it, 
there  is  great  present  and  great  future  reward. 

"  Hence,  every  person  who  can  should  own  a  copy 
of  it,  and  should  read  some  in  it  every  day ;  asking- 
God  to  teach  him,  by  his  Spirit,  rightly  to  understand, 
cordially  to  believe,  and  faithfully  to  obey  it.  It  will 
then  be  spirit  and  life  to  his  soul,  and  make  him  wise 
to  salvation.  It  will  be  a  lamp  to  his  feet,  and  a 
light  to  his  path ;  guiding  him  in  the  way  of  right 
eousness,  that  way  of  pleasantness  and  path  of  peace. 
He  will  be  wiser,  in  the  things  of  God,  even  than  his 
teachers,  if  they  do  not  understand,  believe,  and  obey 
the  Bible.  Through  it  he  will  get  understanding  and 
will  hate  every  false  way ;  and  by  it  he  will  be  fur 
nished  thoroughly  for  every  good  work. 

"  On  the  Sabbath  he  should  study  this  book  in  its 
divinely  inspired  aspect  and  connection ;  not  merely 
that  he  may  obtain  a  greater  knowledge  of  it  himself, 
but  also  that  he  may  be  better  qualified  to  communi 
cate  this  knowledge  to  others.  He  should  also,  as  he 
may  be  able,  avail  himself  of  the  assistance  of  his  fel 
low-men,  that  he  may  receive  from  the  treasures  of 
revelation  things  new  and  old. 

"For  this  purpose  he  should  confine  his  worldly 
business,  cares,  travelling,  and  amusements,  to  six 


HIS  COMMENT  ON  THE  BIBLE.  507 

days  in  a  week,  and  should  rest  on  the  Sabbath  and 
keep  the  day  holy.  He  should  not  only,  as  on  other 
days,  pray  to  God,  morning  and  evening,  himself  in 
secret  and  also  in  the  family,  but  he  should  meet  with 
others  and  worship  God  in  public;  hearken  to  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel  by  the  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ; 
and  when  he  goes  home,  and  has  opportunity,  he  should 
examine  the  Bible  and  see  whether  what  he  has  heard 
is  according  to  it.  If  it  is,  he  should  receive  it  and 
treat  it  as  the  truth  of  God.  If  it  is  not,  he  should 
reject  it ;  for  if  any  one  preaches  contrary  to  the 
Bible,  he  does  not  preach  the  truth,  and  is  not  to  be 
believed.  Each  one  should  therefore  study  this  word 
of  God  for  himself,  that  he  may  be  able  rightly  to 
judge  whether  what  he  hears  is  according  to  it  or  not. 
Every  true  minister  of  Christ  will  wish  to  have  his 
hearers  do  this ;  and  like  Paul  will  rejoice,  (see  Acts 
17  :  2,)  when  he  learns  that  they  are  searching  the 
Scriptures,  to  satisfy  themselves  whether  what  he 
preaches  is  true.  By  this  law  and  testimony  of  God 
all  human  teaching  from  the  pulpit  and  the  press 
should  be  tried.  If  men  speak  not  according  to  this 
word,  there  is  no  light  in  them. 

"Reader,  make  this  book  your  own.  By  it  try 
your  faith,  and  your  practice.  Hearken  to  it  daily,  as 
the  voice  of  God  speaking  to  you,  telling  you  words 
by  which  you  may  be  saved,  and  by  which  you  may 
also  be  instrumental  in  saving  others.  Follow  its 
heavenly  teachings,  and  all  things  shall  work  together 
for  your  good.  God  will  guide  you  by  his  counsel 
through  life ;  he  will  support  and  comfort  you  in 
death ;  and  after  death,  he  will  receive  you  to  glory ; 


508  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

where  with  him,  and  all  his  people,  you  will  rise  from 
glory  to  glory  for  ever  and  ever. 

"  N.  B.  Some  words  and  phrases  which  might  not 
otherwise  be  understood,  are  explained  in  the  notes 
at  the  bottom  of  the  page ;  and  a  specimen  given  of 
some  of  the  instructions  which  the  Scriptures  afford.7' 

In  the  mean  time,  the  Secretary  at  Boston  pro 
cured  and  transmitted  to  the  special  committee  a 
letter  from  the  venerable  Rev.  Dr.  JENKS,  who  had 
labored  long  in  preparing  the  "  Comprehensive  Com 
mentary,"  giving  his  kind  suggestions  as  to  the  char 
acter  of  a  comment  best  adapted  for  the  object  pro 
posed — whether  the  text  should  be  issued  as  a  "  Para 
graph  Bible,"  or  possibly  in  a  chronological  arrange 
ment  like  that  of  Townsend ;  whether  the  references 
in  Bagster's  Bible,  "prepared  by  the  diligent  and 
lamented  Mr.  Greenfield,"  should  be  adopted ;  to 
what  length  notes  and  practical  remarks  should  be 
extended  ;  and  the  desirableness  of  inserting  a  sketch 
of  the  events  which  occurred  "between  the  closing 
of  the  Old  Testament  canon  and  the  opening  of  the 
New." 

On  the  10th  of  February,  Dr.  Edwards,  having 
returned  to  New  York,  presented  a  specimen  of  brief 
notes  on  the  first  chapter  of  Matthew,  to  give  an  idea 
of  the  kind  of  Commentary  which  he  "wished  some 
body  to  publish,  for  all  our  population  who  should 
not  be  otherwise  supplied." 

On  the  10th  of  March,  he  wrote :  "  From  this  time 
forward  I  hope  that  all  colporteurs  will  be  so  fur 
nished  with  Testaments,  that  each  family,  found 


HIS  COMMENT  ON  THE  BIBLE.  509 

destitute,  shall  "be  supplied  with  a  copy,  and  each 
child  in  each  family,  who  can  purchase  it,  or  whose 
parent  or  friend  will  purchase  it  for  him ;  also  that 
colporteurs  enough  be  forthwith  employed  and  furnish 
ed,  to  offer  a  copy  to  every  family  of  immigrants,  and 
to  as  many  of  their  children  as  they  will  purchase  for, 
well  bound  and  in  their  own  tongue.  No  foreigner 
should  get  into  our  southern  or  western  country, 
without  having  had  the  offer  of  a  Bible  or  Testament 
as  soon  as  possible  after  he  steps  on  our  shores :  so 
that  it  may  be  understood,  over  all  the  world,  that  no 
body  is  to  live  in  this  country  without  a  Bible,  or  a  Testa 
ment,  unless  through  his  own  rejection  of  it.  If  they 
can  have  the  Bible,  the  great  object  is  accomplished, 
whether  they  have  the  comments  of  men,  or  not ;  and 
every  soul  that  shall  be  sanctified  and  saved  through 
the  influence  of  a  Bible  which  without  us  he  would  not 
have  received,  will  bless  the  Lord  for  ever,  that  we  did 
not  put  off  and  delay  doing  good  '  as  we  had  opportu 
nity/  till  after  he  was  dead.  What  thy  hand  findeth 
to  do,  do  with  thy  might ;  for  in  the  grave  to  which 
thou  art  hastening  there  is  no  work." 

On  the  23d  of  April,  the  report  of  the  special 
committee  was  received  and  adopted  ;  recommending, 
"  that  the  comments  be  such  as  are  needful  to  assist 
the  common  reader  rightly  to  understand  the  word  of 
God,  without  lengthened  human  expositions.  Where, 
from  a  change  in  the  meaning  of  terms  since  the  re 
ceived  version  was  made,  from  the  obscurity  of  the 
meaning  of  words  or  phrases,  from  ignorance  of  ancient 
customs,  from  the  prevalence  of  false  interpretations, 
(as  in  the  notes  appended  to  the  Douay  version,  or  in. 


510  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

the  multiform  teachings  of  men  denying  the  Lord  that 
bought  us,)  or  from  any  other  cause,  the  common 
reader  would  be  likely  to  fail  of  apprehending  the 
mind  of  the  Spirit  as  revealed  in  the  sacred  volume,  it 
seems  desirable  to  add  such  explanations,  notes,  or 
comments,  and  perhaps  occasional  practical  reflections, 
as  may  guide  the  reader  to  a  reception  of  the  great 
evangelical  truths  revealed,  all  centering  in  '  HIM,  of 
whom  Moses  in  the  law,  and  the  prophets  did  write/ 
'  THE  LAMB  OF  GOD,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world.' " 

The  following  minute  was  also  unanimously 
adopted : 

"Whereas  the  Rev.  Dr.  Edwards,  who  has  been 
long  and  intimately  connected  with  this  and  the  Amer 
ican  Tract  Society  at  Boston,  has  for  years  had  his 
attention  called  to  the  momentous  importance  of  bring 
ing  the  truths  of  the  Bible,  in  their  divinely  inspired 
aspects  and  connections,  into  contact  with  the  minds 
of  all  our  population  : 

"  Resolved,  That  he  be  requested  to  prepare  and 
submit  to  this  Committee  a  comment  and  notes  on  the 
gospel  by  Matthew,  as  a  specimen  of  what  he  proposes, 
with  a  view  to  aid  the  Society  in  reaching  a  definite 
conclusion  upon  the  whole  subject." 

He  entered  immediately  on  the  work  thus  assign 
ed  him,  and,  May  17,  wrote  to  the  Publishing  Com 
mittee  :  "  In  compliance  with  your  request,  I  herewith 
send  you  a  specimen  of  what  I  suppose  it  may  be 
proper  for  the  Tract  Society  to  publish  on  the  gospel 
of  Matthew.  The  object  of  the  work  is  to  express  to 
laboring  people,  common  unlearned  readers,  in  the 


HIS  COMMENT  ON  THE  BIBLE.  511 

plainest  manner,  the  meaning  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in 
the  gospel  of  Matthew,  and  some  of  the  instructions 
which  it  affords.  I  have  therefore  endeavored  to  avoid 
all  attempts  at  learned  criticism,  and  to  give  the  re 
sults  of  sound  judicious  interpretation,  without  giving 
the  steps  by  which  we  reach  those  results. 

"  The  Instructions  I  have  added  for  the  purpose  of 
helping  all  persons,  when  they  read  the  Bible,  to  form 
the  habit  of  drawing  from  it  such  instructions  as  will 
tend  most  to  their  growth  in  knowledge  and  in  grace, 
and  furnish  them  thoroughly  for  every  good  work." 

Though  Dr.  Edwards  originally  contemplated  only 
a  glossary,  or  the  briefest  explanation  of  terms  and 
phrases,  yet  as  he  proceeded  through  the  gospel  of 
Matthew,  the  work  grew  upon  his  hands,  especially 
in  the  rich  practical  instructions  suggested,  till  it  be 
came  evident  that  the  comment  would  be  larger  than 
was  designed,  and  he  proceeded  carefully  to  abridge 
and  condense  it  into  the  form  in  which,  under  the  re 
vision  and  sanction  of  the  Committee,  it  was  stereo 
typed.* 

*  We  annex  the  last  three  verses  of  Matthew  as  a  specimen 
of  the  comment,  though  both  the  notes  and  instructions  are  longer 
than  in  the  work  generally,  which  contains  the  references  and  mar 
ginal  readings  of  Bagster's  Polyglott  Bible,  and  maps. 

MATTHEW  28: 18-20. 

18.  And  Jesus  came  and  spake  unto  them,  saying,  All  power  is 
given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth. 

19.  Go  ye  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost : 

20.  Teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have 
commanded  you :  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  world.    Amen. 


512  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

While  the  best  form  of  publishing  the  work  was 
under  consideration,  he  wrote:  "I  think  there  are 
serious  objections  to  intermingling  the  instructions 
with  the  notes ;  or  turning  off  the  attention  from  what 
God  has  said,  until  the  reader  has  spent  as  much  time 
in  attending  to  it  as  he  thinks  to  be  suitable.  Then, 
if  he  has  time,  and  is  disposed  to  look  at  the  instruc 
tion  which  G-od's  communication  has  suggested  to  a 
man,  he  can  do  so ;  or  he  can  write  down,  or  think 

NOTES. 

18.  All  power;  power  is  here  used  in  the  sense  of  authority'. 
Is  given  unto  me;  as  mediator,  God  and  man. 

19.  Teach;  disciple  all  nations;  proclaim  to  them  the  gospel, 
for  the  purpose  of  persuading  them  to  become  my  disciples.     The 
Father,  the  Son,  and-  the  Holy  Ghost ;  the  one  only  living  and  true 
God. 

20.  I  am  with  you;  in  this  work,  to  guide,  comfort,  sanctify, 
and  sustain  you ;  to  render  you  successful  in  awakening  the  atten 
tion  of  men,  convincing  them  of  sin,  and  turning  them  from  dark 
ness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  sin  unto  God.    I  will  be  with 
you  and  all  who  succeed  you  in  preaching  the  gospel,  to  the  end  of 
time.     Amen;  so  let  it  be,  and  so  it  shall  be. 

INSTRUCTIONS. 

18.  As  Christ  has  authority  over  all,  and  power  to  direct  and 
govern  all,  they  who  put  their  trust  in  him  will  be  for  ever  safe. 

19.  The  making  of  all  nations  the  disciples  of  Christ  should  be 
the  great  object  of  all.     Some  should  labor  for  it  in  one  way,  and 
some  in  another,  as  the  Lord  shall  call  them;   but  all  should 
strive  together  that  the  Scriptures  may  be  translated  into  every 
tongue,  and  the  gospel  be  preached  to  every  creature. 

20.  Christ,  with  his  divine  presence  and  aid,  will  be  with  his 
people  in  doing  his  will,  to  the  end  of  time ;  and  after  having  in 
clined  and  enabled  them  to  serve  him  and  their  generation  according 
to  the  will  of  God,  will  receive  them  to  himself,  that  where  he  is 
they  also  may  be,  to  behold  his  glory,  the  glory  which  he  had  with 
the  Father  before  the  world  was.    John  17  :24. 


HIS  COMMENT  ON  THE  BIBLE.  5l3 

out  the  instruction  which  the  divine  communication 
suggests  to  his  own  mind. 

"  I  do  not  intend  to  insert  any  introduction  to  each 
book ;  but  to  the  Bible  or  Testament  perhaps  it  might 
be  well  to  have  an  introduction,  stating  to  the  reader 
the  peculiar  nature  of  this  book,  the  manner  in  which 
it  should  be  treated,  and  some  of  the  good  it  will  do 
him,  if  he  treats  it  in  that  way." 

He  says  again,  "It  is  very  difficult  to  make  any 
one  work  best  suited  to  all  classes  of  people.  The 
very  passages  which  to  ministers  and  learned  men  are 
about  as  plain  as  they  can  be,  are  not  so  to  the  un 
learned  and  to  children,  to  whom  simple  explanations 
of  the  word  of  God  are  very  attractive.  The  Bible 
about  which  learned  doctors  have  so  long  differed, 
the  unlearned  millions  exceedingly  desire  to  have 
made  plain  to  them.* 

"  If  this  work  is  to  have  a  general  circulation  among 
all  classes  of  people,  and  be  best  suited  to  all,  it  ap 
pears  to  me  there  must  be  different  editions,  and  some 
comprehending  more  than  others.  Might  it  not  be 
best  then  first  to  prepare  an  edition  best  suited  for 
colporteur  distribution  among  those  who  would  not  be 
likely  to  get  the  Bible,  except  through  their  instru 
mentality  ?  and  then,  as  time,  experience,  observation, 
and  the  providence  of  God  may  point  the  way,  prepare 
it  in  other  forms  and  sizes  and  varieties  for  other 
classes  of  people  ? 

*  " '  Machinations' " — a  term  which  some  one  had  proposed  in 
revising  the  notes — "  is  a  long  hard  word,  which  unlearned  labor 
ing  men  do  not  use,  and  which  many  of  them  do  not  understand, 
or  know  how  to  pronounce." 

22* 


514  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

"As  to  references,  if  the  Committee  think  that 
the  comment  will  be  sought  after  by  ministers  and 
Sabbath-school  teachers  and  experienced  Christians, 
and  that  it  would  be  better  for  them  to  have  more 
references,  I  have  no  objection,  provided  they  do 
not  call  upon  me  to  make  them.  The  reason  why 
I  should  be  reluctant  to  perform  that  labor  is,  it  ap 
pears  to  me  that  the  little  time  which  I  have  to  stay 
on  earth,  may,  in  another  way,  be  employed  to  better 
advantage.  I  have  always  supposed  that  a  number 
of  tables  containing  such  information  as  common 
people  need,  and  which  they  would  not  be  likely 
to  get  except  from  this  Bible,  might  be  embodied, 
and  add  much  to  the  attractiveness  and  value  of  the 
work. 

"  My  attention  is  now  fully  occupied  in  endeavor 
ing  rightly  to  apprehend  and  rightly  to  express  the  mean 
ing  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  those  passages  of  Scripture  which 
I  am  called  upon  to  examine.  This  employment  is  de 
lightful.  The  weeks  slip  away  with  amazing  rapidity, 
and  will  soon  be  all  gone — it  may  be  before  I  get 
through  the  Bible,  or  such  parts  of  it  as  may  be 
thought  desirable.  If  they  should  not.  and  I  should 
be  here  and  able  to  do  it,  and  nothing  else  should 
more  urgently  call,  I  will  attend  to  references  or  any 
thing  else  to  which  Providence  may  direct  me.  What 
my  hands  find  to  do,  I  ask  an  interest  in  your  prayers 
and  those  of  the  Committee,  that  I  may  be  enabled  to 
do  and  with  my  might,  according  to  the  will  of  God  ; 
and  I  hope  that  through  your  and  their  assistance,  and 
the  divine  blessing,  great  and  lasting  good  will  result 
to  mankind." 


HIS  COMMENT  ON  THE  BIBLE.  515 

The  stereotyping  of  Matthew  having  been  unavoid 
ably  delayed,  he  wrote,  December  3 :  "It  is  no  doubt 
best  that  the  Committee  and  all  concerned  should,  in 
this  and  all  things,  take  all  needed  time  to  learn  the 
divine  will  and  to  do  it.  He  that  believeth,  while  he 
will  be  diligent  in  business,  and  what  his  hands  find  to 
do,  will  do  with  his  might,  and  heartily  unto  the  Lord, 
will  not  'make  haste?  or  wish  to  pluck  the  fruits  of 
Providence  before  they  are  ripe.  Unripe  fruits  are 
unhealthy;  and  though  they  often  look  beautifully, 
and  are  very  tempting,  yet  God  causes  them  to  ripen 
slowly,  on  purpose,  I  suppose,  to  try  our  patience,  and 
let  us  know  that  unless  we  let  patience  have  its  per 
fect  work,  we  can  never  be  perfect  and  entire,  but 
shall  ever  be  wanting." 

In  a  letter,  April  4,  1850,  he  says,  "I  sometimes 
please  myself  with  the  hope,  that  somebody  at  some 
time  may  be  enabled  to  prepare  a  Biblical  Manual,  to 
go  with  the  Bible,  which  shall  contain  what  its  com 
mon  readers  may  need  to  know  about  the  nature  of 
the  book,  the  proper  mode  of  treating  it,  and  the 
effects  of  treating  it  in  this  way ;  all  needful  tables  of 
weights,  measures,  distances,  coins,  titles,  offices,  etc., 
together  with  history,  chronology,  geography,  etc. ; 
in  a  word,  whatever  is  needful  to  enable  the  people 
to  understand  the  Lord's  meaning  in  all  the  words 
which  he  uses. 

"  It  may  contain  also  a  dissertation,  briefly  stating 
the  right  which  every  man  who  has  a  soul  has  to  own 
a  Bible,  to  read  some  in  it  daily,  to  judge  himself  of 
its  meaning,  and  when  he  learns  what  the  will  of  God 
is,  his  right  and  duty  to  do  it ;  and  the  unspeakable 


516  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

importance  of  every  man,  woman,  and  child,  especially 
in  this  country,  taking  this  course.* 

"  It  might  be  called  the  '  BIBLICAL  MANUAL,'  and 
go  out  with  the  Temperance  and  Sabbath  Manuals, 
and  the  Bible,  to  every  soul  that  will  receive  it,  and 
thus  aid  in  preparing  the  way  for  the  Lord  to  '  mag 
nify  his  word  above  all  his  name/  and  to  make  the 
light  of  the  moon  like  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  the 
light  of  the  sun  as  the  light  of  seven  days." 

Again  he  says,  "No  words  can  express  my  con 
stantly  growing  convictions  of  the  importance  and  the 
necessity  of  men  becoming,  in  their  proper  place  and 

*  Dr.  Edwards  having  written  to  the  aged  antiquarian,  Rev. 
Thomas  Robbins,  then  at  Hartford,  for  information  as  to  the  Bible 
published  by  recommendation  of  our  American  Congress,  he  replied, 
that  "Mr.  Robert  Aitken,  a  printer  at  Philadelphia,  finding  that 
there  was  a  great  scarcity  of  Bibles  in  the  time  of  our  revolution 
ary  war,  made  application  to  Congress  to  patronize  the  object, 
January  21, 1781.  His  memorial  was  referred  to  a  committee,  of 
which  James  Duane  was  chairman.  The  work  went  on  slowly,  a 
great  work  for  that  day,  and  the  committee  reported,  September  1, 
1782,  'that  Mr.  Aitken  has,  at  great  expense,  now  finished  an 
American  edition  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  English ;  that  the  com 
mittee  have  from. time  to  time  attended  to  his  progress  in  the 
work ;  that  they  also  recommended  it  to  the  two  chaplains  of  Con 
gress  to  examine  and  give  their  opinion  of  the  execution.' 

"The  chaplains,  Dr.  White  and  Mr.  Duffield,  reported  their 
high  approbation,  and  Congress  then 

"'Resolved,  That  the  United  States,  in  Congress  assembled, 
highly  approve  the  pious  and  laudable  undertaking  of  Mr.  Aitkeu, 
as  subservient  to  the  interests  of  religion,  as  well  as  an  instance  of 
the  progress  of  arts  in  this  country,  and  being  satisfied  from  the 
above  report  of  his  care  and  accuracy  in  the  execution  of  his  work, 
they  recommend  this  edition  of  the  Bible  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
United  States,  and  hereby  authorize  him  to  publish  this  recommen 
dation  in  the  manner  he  shall  think  proper.' " 


[HIS  COMMENT  ON  THE  BIBLE.  517 

in  the  right  way,  workers  together  with  God,  in  promot 
ing  their  own  salvation  and  that  of  others.  To  induce 
them  to  do  this,  is  one  grand  object  of  all  that  I  am 
now  doing." 

He  pressed  forward  laboriously  with  his  delightful 
work,  and  on  the  last  day  of  December,  1850,  was 
enabled  to  announce  the  New  Testament  completed. 

"My  DEAR  SIR — Through  the  great  kindness  of 
God,  and  by  his  continued  assistance,  I  have  finished 
the  book  of  Revelation  and  the  New  Testament. 

"  I  desire  to  express  to  you  and  to  the  dear  breth 
ren  of  the  Committee,  and  to  your  fellow-laborer 
Mr.  Rand,  my  grateful  acknowledgments  for  the  kind 
assistance  which  you  and  they  have  rendered  me,  and 
above  all,  to  the  God  of  all  grace,  the  giver  of  all 
good,  for  enabling  and  inclining  you  and  them  to  do 
it.  I  would  also  ask  the  continued  aid  of  your  and 
their  prayers,  that  should  my  life  and  health  be  pre 
served,  and  I  be  graciously  permitted  to  pursue  this 
work,  I  may  rightly  apprehend  and  rightly  express 
the  mind  and  will  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  that  we  may 
be  instrumental  in  communicating  a  knowledge  of  it 
to  multitudes  of  the  present  and  future  generations 
who  would  otherwise  not  so  clearly  or  to  so  great  an 
extent  understand  it.  And  may  our  daily  prayer 
ascend  to  God,  that  his  truth  as  communicated  by  us 
and  others  may,  through  his  rich  abounding  grace,  be 
the  means  of  preparing  many  for  glory  and  honor, 
immortality,  and  eternal  life  in  heaven.  With  much 
love  to  you  and  all  the  brethren, 

"  I  am  truly  and  gratefully  yours, 

"JUSTIN  EDWARDS." 


518  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

His  youngest  daughter  having,  at  the  close  of  the 
year  1850,  engaged  for  a  time  in  teaching  in  Alabama, 
he  wrote  her  kind  and  fatherly  letters,  giving  valua 
ble  hints  as  to  the  management  of  the  school,  her  own 
course  of  reading  and  study,  the  cultivation  of  piety 
in  her  own  heart,  her  usefulness  to  those  around  her, 
and  especially  prayerful  fidelity  to  the  eternal  welfare 
of  the  pupils  under  her  charge. 

January  1,  1851,  he  writes  her,  '"I  wish  you  a 
happy  new  year/  by  your  remembering  that  all  our 
happiness  comes  from  that  great  and  good  God  in 
whom  we  live  and  move  and  have  our  being,  and  that 
if  we  are  ever  truly  and  permanently  blessed,  it  must 
be  in  learning  and  doing  his  will.  All  that  we  are, 
and  all  that  we  have,  we  receive  from  him.  For  our 
friends,  and  for  all  that  is  lovely  in  them,  and  all  the 
comforts  we  receive  from  them,  we  are  indebted  to 
him ;  and  they  come  to  us  as  the  fruit  of  our  Saviour's 
kindness  and  condescension,  his  exile  for  more  than 
thirty  years  from  his  Father's  house  and  its  manifold 
comforts,  in  a  cold  and  pitiless  world,  where  although 
the  foxes  had  holes,  and  the  birds  of  the  air  nests,  he 
had  not  where  to  lay  his  head. 

"I  learn  from  Elizabeth's  letter,  for  which  we  are 
all  very  much  obliged  to  you,  that  you  sometimes 
feel  lonely.  This  I  expected  ;  for  I  have  often,  when 
absent  from  home  and  friends,  especially  when  I  was 
young,  felt  so  myself.  When  my  mother  died,  and  I 
had  to  leave  my  father,  brother,  and  sisters,  and  go 
to  live  with  strangers,  I  had  such  feelings  as  I  never 
had  before,  and  which  we  should  know  nothing  about 
if  we  did  not  experience  them.  Yet  hundreds  and 


HIS  COMMENT  ON  THE  BIBLE.  519 

thousands  in  different  parts  of  the  world,  and  many  of 
them  in  situations  much  less  comfortable  than  yours, 
are  experiencing  such  lonely  desolate  feelings  all  the 
while.  God  wishes  that  we  should  think  of  them, 
sympathize  with  them,  and  pray  to  him  for  them  ;  but 
we  never  should  do  it,  if  we  never  had  any  such  feel 
ings  ourselves.  Jesus  Christ,  knowing  how  much  we 
should  need  his  sympathy,  left  his  home  in  heaven  and 
took  upon  him  our  nature  in  body  and  soul,  and  will 
ingly  submitted  to  the  temptations,  trials,  and  dis 
tresses  of  this  life,  that  he  might  know  by  experience 
what  they  are,  and  be  better  fitted  to  feel  for,  sympa 
thize  with,  and  succor  those  who  are  lonely  and  dis 
tressed,  and  need  his  help.  He  is  near  you,  though 
we  are  not,  and  into  his  kind  bosom  you  may  pour  out 
all  your  wants.  When  I  have  been  far  away  from 
friends,  and  felt  lonely  and  desolate,  I  have  sometimes 
found  great  comfort  in  reading  the  epistles  to  the  Phi- 
lippians  and  Colossians.  '  Cast  thy  burden  on  the 
Lord,  and  he  shall  sustain  thee.' " 

To  his  brother-in-law,  Rev.  Jared  Reid,  who  had 
an  attack  of  paralysis,  which  ere  long  terminated  his 
life,  he  wrote,  January  7,  from  Rockport,  where  he 
had  been  to  attend  the  funeral  of  a  little  son  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Gale :  "  We  have  here  learned  that  you  are  pros 
trated  by  disease.  We  tenderly  and  deeply  sympa 
thize  with  you  in  your  affliction,  and  hope  that  the 
Lord  will  be  graciously  pleased  to  be  with  you,  and 
for  Christ's  sake  grant  you  his  presence  and  blessing, 
lift  upon  you  the  light  of  his  countenance,  and  give 
you  joy  and  peace  in  believing  on  him,  who  is,  you 
know,  able  and  willing  to  do  exceeding  abundantly 


520  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

above  all  that  we  can  ask  or  think,  for  all  who  put 
their  trust  in  him.  As  diseases  are  his  servants,  that 
go  and  come  at  his  bidding,  and  as  he  does  not  afflict 
willingly  or  grieve  the  children  of  men,  but  for  their 
profit,  that  they  may  be  partakers  of  his  holiness,  we 
have  always  reason  in  the  midst  of  our  trials  to  say, 
It  is  the  Lord,  let  him  do  as  seemeth  him  good ;  he 
doeth  all  things  well ;  and  though  the  fig-tree  should 
not  blossom,  neither  fruit  be  in  the  vines,  yet  I  will 
rejoice  in  the  Lord,  I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  sal 
vation.  I  hope  he  will  graciously  direct  to  and 
bless  means  for  your  recovery,  and  raise  you  up  to  the 
glory  of  his  name,  and  to  the  good  of  all  concerned  • 
above  all,  that  he  will  be  with  you,  and  enable  you 
so  to  trust  in  him  as  to  be  like  mount  Zion  that  cannot 
be  moved,  and  so  to  seek  him  that  you  will  not  want 
any  good  thing. 

"  The  good  seed  which  you  and  your  departed  wife 
sowed  in  your  ministry  at  Reading  and  at  Belcher- 
town,  seems  to  be  evidently  springing  up  and  bring 
ing  forth  fruit  unto  life  eternal.  So  I  trust  it  may  be 
at  Tiverton,  so  that  whether  you  remain,  or  go  to  be 
with  your  dear  wife  and  those  who  through  faith  and 
patience,  and  often  through  much  tribulation,  are  now 
inheriting  the  promises,  you  may  see,  in  due  time,  that 
through  rich  grace  your  labors  have  not  been  in  vain 
in  the  Lord." 

To  his  eldest  son,  whose  partner  in  New  Orleans 
had  been  removed  by  death,  and  who  had  formed  a 
new  mercantile  connection  in  New  York,  he  wrote, 
January  21,  1852 : 

"My  DEAR  SON — If  I  rightly  recollect,  it  is  thir- 


HIS  COMMENT  ON  THE  BIBLE.  521 

ty-three  years  since  I  first  saw  your  face  and  heard 
your  voice — almost  one-third  of  a  century.  You  have 
now  lived  to  be  half  of  sixty-six,  and  by  looking  back 
can  see  a  little  how  sixty-six  years  of  human  life  will 
seem  to  you,  should  you  live  to  see  them.  You  can 
also  see  about  all  which  this  world  can  do  for  men, 
as  to  making  them  happy.  It  can  do,  through  our 
own  efforts,  and  the  blessing  of  God,  what  it  has  done 
for  you  and  me :  furnish  food  and  raiment,  and  the 
means  of  support  for  the  body,  something  with  which 
to  aid  our  friends,  and  if  we  are  disposed,  do  good  to 
our  needy  fellow-men.  But  as  we  brought  nothing 
into  this  world,  so  we  shall  carry  nothing  out  of  it, 
except  the  character  we  here  form.  And  it  is  on  our 
character,  our  feelings  with  regard  to  God  and  our 
fellow-men,  that  our  happiness  depends. 

"  Especially  will  this  be  the  case,  when  we  leave 
this  world,  which  we  may  be  called  to  at  any  time ; 
and  the  character  we  then  have  will  continue  for 
ever.  Hence,  with  every  wise  man,  the  great  inquiry 
will  be,  how  his  own  mind  may  be  brought  into  such 
a  state  as  to  be  happy  in  loving  and  obeying  God. 
There  is  a  way,  and  that  way  is  pointed  out  in  the 
Bible  ;  and  each  person  may  learn  it,  under  the  teach 
ing  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  God  gives  to  those  who 
desire  it  and  ask  it  of  him.  Matt.  7:11.  .  To  assist 
men  in  doing  this,  and  in  receiving  the  instructions 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  gives,  is  one  object  I  have  in 
view  in  writing  notes  on  the  Bible.  An  objection 
which  persons  sometimes  think  of  is,  that  if  they  make 
it  their  great  object  to  learn  and  do  the  will  of  God, 
they  shall  not  obtain  as  much  as  they  want  of  this 


522  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

world.  But  the  answer  to  that  is,  God  lias  promised 
that  they  shall  have  all  that  they  need,  all  that  will 
do  them  good,  all  that  will  not  in  the  end  be  a  curse 
to  them.  And  what  wise  man,  who  looks  upon  him 
self  as  an  immortal  being,  will  wish  for  more.  '  Seek 
ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness,  and 
all  these  things/  that  is,  all  which  you  need,  all  which 
will  be  best  for  you,  all  you  can  have  without  injury, 
'shall  be  added  to  you.'  Matt.  6:33.  I  hope  my 
notes  may  be  instrumental  in  leading  many  rightly  to 
understand  such  passages,  and  by  taking  the  course 
pointed  out,  experience  the  blessings  which  are  prom 
ised.  To  seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  right 
eousness,  is  to  treat  him  as  our  rightful  King,  seek  to 
be  governed  by  his  will,  do  what  we  know  to  be  right, 
and  trust  in  what  Jesus  Christ  has  done  for  accept 
ance  with  God.  In  doing  this,  we  shall  have  all  that 
God  sees  to  be  best  for  us  in  this  world,  and  enjoy 
much  more  happiness  in  it  than  we  can  in  any  other 
way,  and  be  perfectly  and  for  ever  blessed  with  him 
and  all  his  redeemed  people  in  the  world  to  come. 
"  Your  ever  affectionate  father, 

"J.  EDWARDS." 


HIS  CLOSING-  LABORS.  523 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE  CLOSING  LABORS  OF  HIS  LIFE. 

As  soon  as  he  had  finished  the  notes  and  instruc 
tions  on  the  New  Testament,  he  began  those  upon  the 
Old  Testament,  to  which  he  consecrated  his  unremit 
ting  energies  for  nearly  a  year  and  a  half,  till  he  had 
reached  the  end  of  the  first  book  of  Kings,  when, 
April  17,  1852,  he  wrote  by  an  amanuensis : 

"  DEAK  SIR — I  am  down  with  a  fever,  brought  on, 
I  suppose,  by  too  long  continued  and  intense  mental 
excitement  and  effort.  Though  I  trust  not  immedi 
ately  dangerous,  I  am  not  able  to  employ  my  mind 
about  any  thing.  You  must  make  the  first  of  Kings 
as  perfect  as  you  can,  and  go  on  and  print  it,  or  leave 
it  to  be  examined  by  me,  should  the  Lord  permit,  at 
some  future  time,  as  you  may  judge  best." 

This  sickness,  which  he  doubtless  attributes  to  the 
true  cause,  "too  long  continued  and  intense  mental 
excitement  and  effort,"  not  only  in  urging  forward 
the  Comment,  but  fulfilling  other  public  responsibili 
ties,  especially  affected  the  brain,  and  for  some  weeks 
he  was  in  a  high  state  of  mental  and  nervous  excite 
ment  ;  prostrated  by  disease  and  yet  apparently  in 
great  buoyancy  of  spirits,  talking  continually  of  the 
Comment,  the  Sabbath,  the  religious  hopes  of  his  chil 
dren,  and  an  endless  variety  of  subjects,  often  display 
ing  uncommon  shrewdness  and  brilliancy;  but  as 


524  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

when  in  health  and  the  full  use  of  his  reason,  express 
ing  no  alarm  at  the  approach  of  death,  scarcely  allud 
ing  to  the  subject  of  the  state  of  his  own  mind  or 
his  preparation  for  eternity,  and  in  no  case  speaking 
an  unkind  word  of  the  absent.  Two  of  his  sons, 
one  a  merchant  in  New  York,  and  one  a  lawyer  in 
Augusta,  Maine,  came  to  him,  and  remained  through 
the  crisis  of  the  disease ;  and  for  seven  days  and 
seven  nights,  in  which  they  were  with  him,  together 
or  alternately,  they  believe  he  slept -not  a  moment, 
but  was  almost  constantly  speaking,  except  when  his 
tongue  became  paralyzed,  at  periods  when  his  death 
was  daily  and  almost  hourly  expected.  Not  only  was 
there  the  influence  of  fever,  but  the  biliary  derange 
ment,  under  which  in  the  pressure  of  great  labor  and 
exhaustion  he  had  formerly  been  prostrated,  return 
ed  ;  and  with  it  the  chronic  "  internal  inflammation  " 
of  which  his  letters  speak,  that  at  times  had  caused 
intense  suffering — a .  complication  of  disease  which 
seemed  to  indicate  the  will  of  God,  that  his  work  on 
earth  should  now  be  terminated.  But  prayer  was 
made  for  him  continually ;  his  own  prayers  that  he 
might  be  useful  were  with  the  great  Intercessor  before 
the  heavenly  throne ;  and  after  about  forty  days  he 
became  again  comfortable,  though  reduced  to  a  state 
of  great  weakness. 

On  the  12th  of  May,  his  son  in  Maine  wrote:  "I 
have  been  during  the  last  ten  days  engaged  with  the 
other  members  of  our  family  in  attending  on  my  fa 
ther.  He  now  seems  to  be  slowly  improving,  and  I 
think  the  impression  of  the  physician  is,  that  if  no 
relapse  should  take  place,  he  will  recover. 


HIS  CLOSING-  LABORS.  525 

"  There  is  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  physician, 
or  of  the  family,  that  the  cause  of  the  present  illness 
was  too  severe  and  long  continued  mental  effort.  For 
two  years,  as  he  has  repeatedly  said  during  his  illness, 
he  has  had  no  vacation.  His  daily  biblical  studies 
being  of  a  nature  which  rendered  it  proper  to  think 
and  read  in  connection  with  them  on  the  Sabbath,  I 
doubt  if  he  has  had  even  the  relaxation  and  change 
of  pursuit  which  make  that  day  so  valuable  to  other 
men.  In  addition  to  the  Commentary,  which  required 
as  much  labor  as  he  was  able  to  perform,  he  has  had 
various  and  laborious  duties  in  connection  with  the 
Sabbath  and  Temperance  interests,  the  Theological 
Seminary,  and  other  matters.  The  brain  was  thus 
tasked  beyond  its  power  of  endurance,  and  delirium 
ensued,  which  lasted  some  three  weeks.  His  mind  is 
still  weak,  and  must  have  time  to  recover  itself.  His 
life  is  of  so  much  value  that  we  feel  bound  to  use  every 
effort  to  prevent  it  from  being  prematurely  terminated 
by  a  return  to  the  full  burden  of  past  labors." 

June  3,  his  youngest  daughter  wrote :  "  The  love 
and  anxiety  manifested  on  our  behalf  by  sympathizing 
friends,  has  been  most  grateful  to  our  feelings,  and  has 
contributed  not  a  little  to  support  and  strengthen  us 
in  this  day  of  doubt  and  trial.  But  thanks  to  our 
merciful  heavenly  Father,  the  clouds  are  now  gra 
ciously  dispersed,  and  we  are  allowed  to-  look  forward 
to  the  time  when  he  who  is  so  precious  to  our  hearts, 
shall  be  raised  up  from  his  bed  of  languishing  and 
distress  to  become  again  a  blessing  to  the  church,  the 
world,  and  his  family,  and  gladden  the  social  circle  by 
his  counsel  and  example.  I  am  rejoiced  to  be  able  to 


526  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

tell  you  that  my  father  gains  slowly,  though  very 
slowly,  from  day  to  day.  For  a  week  past  he  has  been 
riding  out  a  short  distance  every  pleasant  day,  and 
though  fatigued  by  the  exertion,  seems  refreshed,  after 
his  long  confinement,  by  the  lovely  attire  in  which 
spring  is  clothing  our  village." 

June  24th,  Dr.  Edwards  wrote,  "  For  nearly  three 
years  I  pursued  a  course  of  vigorous  mental  effort, 
without  any  substantial  vacation,  hoping  to  prevent 
the  depressing  effects  by  a  course  of  daily  vigorous 
bodily  exercise  ;  but  both  mind  and  body  failed,  and  I 
have  been  affected  with  a  violent  inflammation  of  the 
brain,  which  for  a  time  endangered  my  life.  From 
that  I  am  now  slowly  recovering,  and  hope  in  due 
time  to  be  able  to  prosecute  my  duties.  Some  things 
about  the  Bible  may  be  learned  in  sickness,  which  will 
not  ordinarily  be  learned  in  health." 

July  7,  he  says,  "I  am  gradually  but  slowly  gain 
ing  as  to  health,  and  hope  in  due  time  to  resume  my 
work.  You  can  now  stereotype  all  that  you  have, 
and  must  wait  upon  Providence  for  the  rest.  I  rejoice 
that  you  have  sent  one  hundred  and  fifty  copies  of  the 
New  Testament  to  foreign  missionaries." 

September  9,  he  wrote,  "  Had  I  taken  two  months' 
vacation  in  each  of  the  three  years  I  have  been  occu 
pied  with  the  Commentary,  it  might  have  saved  me 
the  long  and  severe  illness  I  have  suffered.  But  I  did 
not  take  any,  and  even  when  absent  on  a  journey  took 
my  manuscript  with  me,  hoping  that  by  exercising  the 
latter  part  of  each  day  I  could  continue  my  labor 
without  any  vacation.  But  in  this  I  was  mistaken, 
and  have  had  to  take  nearly  six  months'  vacation,  all 


HIS  CLOSING-  LABORS.  527 

at  one  time.  The  knowledge  thus  acquired,  I  hope  to 
make  of  use,  if  I  live,  in  future  time  and  labors.  I  am 
perceptibly  but  slowly  gaining,  and  hope  that  on  the 
approach  of  cold  weather  I  shall  gain  faster.  But 
that  I  leave  with  Him  who  bringeth  down  and  raiseth 
up,  and  who  doeth  all  things  well." 

As  his  strength  gradually  returned,  he  proceeded 
cautiously  in  the  preparation  of  the  Comment,  the  com 
pletion  of  which  was  now  the  one  work  to  which 
Providence  seemed  to  call  him ;  and  though  he  had 
little  strength  for  any  other  service,  the  Bible  grew 
more  and  more  precious,  and  it  was  food  to  his  soul  to 
drink  in  its  blessed  truths,  and  draw  out  its  practical 
heaven-inspired  instructions  for  the  benefit  of  others. 
On  the  30th  of  October,  he  sent  the  second  book  of 
Kings,  and  on  the  23d  of  December  had  finished  the 
book  of  Esther. 

About  the  middle  of  February,  1853,  he  had  com 
pleted  the  book  of  Job,  and  reached  the  fortieth 
Psalm,  when  the  complicated  disease  by  which  he  had 
been  prostrated  ten  months  before  reappeared,  though 
in  a  much  milder  form;  and  a  lingering  fever  and 
nervous  exhaustion  again  precluded  all  mental  effort. 
After  some  weeks  he  wrote,  April  18,  "  My  health  is 
slowly  gaining.  I  ride  out  every  pleasant  day,  and 
walk  a  little.  To-day  I  finish  the  comment  on  the 
fiftieth  Psalm,  and  hope  to  go  on  slowly  with  the 
work,  but  shall  at  present  attempt  to  do  but  little." 
Within  a  few  weeks,  applying  all  his  remaining 
strength,  at  short  intervals,  to  his  endeared  work,  he 
carried  it  forward  to  the  end  of  the  ninetieth  Psalm. 

He  resorted  to  all  means  of  relaxation :  riding, 


528  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

exercise  in  his  garden  of  which  he  was  fond,  and  even 
ventured  to  take  a  little  journey,  beyond  his  strength, 
to  visit  his  relatives  in  Westhampton ;  but  he  found 
that  no  means  he  was  using  had  any  essential  recu 
perative  influence  upon  his  health :  when  his  esteemed 
friend  General  Cocke  of  Virginia  visited  him,  and 
after  cheering  conversation  on  their  old  favorite  sub 
ject  of  Temperance,  recommended  his  visiting  the 
Yirginia  Springs,  agreeing  to  meet  him  at  Richmond, 
or  Philadelphia,  and  accompany  him,  first  to  his  own 
residence  and  then  to  the  Springs,  and  if  desirable,  to 
take  him  in  the  ensuing  winter  to  his  plantation  in 
Alabama. 

Hoping  against  hope  that  his  formerly  successful 
remedy  of  a  change  of  scene  in  a  somewhat  extended 
tour  might  restore  his  energies;  and  though  with 
lurking  disease  manifestly  prostrating  his  system,  yet 
seeing  no  prospect  of  health  if  he  remained  at  home, 
he  resolved  to  accept  the  General's  invitation,  and 
June  1,  wrote  to  the  compiler  in  New  York : 

"I  should  think  well  of  printing  forthwith  the 
comment  to  the  end  of  Job,  as  volume  first  of  the  Old 
Testament.  It  would  be  a  great  convenience  to  me 
to  have  it.  How  long  before  the  whole  will  be  finished 
will  depend  much  on  my  health. 

"  I  now  think,  if  Providence  permit,  of  visiting  the 
Yirginia  Springs.  If  so,  I  shall  be  in  New  York  next 
week.  I  would  thank  you  to  see  Dr.  Bliss,  and  tell 
him  I  am  just  getting  up  from  a  forty  days'  fever ;  but 
am  feeble,  have  no  appetite,  and  am  not  able  to  get 
any.  I  daily  ride  out  in  pleasant  weather,  but  the 
circulation  in  the  system  is  low,  and  I  am  very  easily 


HIS  CLOSING-  LABORS.  529 

tired  with  very  little  effort,  and  do  not  seem  to  gain. 
My  old  difficulty  for  which  he  visited  me,  continues  to 
trouble  me  some,  but  not  more  than  it  has  ordinarily 
for  several  years  past.  If  you  will  ascertain  his  views 
as  to  my  going  to  the  Yirginia  Springs  for  a  few 
weeks,  so  that  you  can  inform  me  when  I  reach  New 
York,  you  will  oblige  me." 

On  the  same  day  Mrs.  Edwards  wrote,  "He  has 
attended  church  half  the  day  for  two  or  three  Sab 
baths.  Last  Sabbath  being  very  warm,  and  the  air 
of  the  church  becoming  close,  he  fainted,  but  on  com 
ing  to  the  fresh  air  revived  again,  and  has  seemed 
since  quite  as  well  as  before." 

Having  made  all  arrangements  as  if  he  might 
never  return — which  was  usual  in  his  preparation  for 
a  journey — he,  on  the  8th  of  June,  left  Andover  ac 
companied  by  his  youngest  daughter,  and  on  the  second 
day  reached  the  city  of  New  York,  and  found  a  home 
in  the  family  of  the  compiler.  So  great  was  his  weak 
ness,  that  he  was  unable  to  converse  continuously  on 
any  topic,  or  even  to  lead  in  family  devotions;  and 
the  singing  of  his  favorite  hymn, 

"  0  could  I  speak  the  matchless  worth, 
0  could  I  sound  the  glories  forth 
Which  in  my  Saviour  shine," 

was  more  than  his  prostrated  nervous  system  could 
bear ;  yet  occasionally  his  tender  beaming  eye  and 
flashes  of  spiritual  thought  showed  the  heavenly  fire 
that  glowed  in  his  public  appeals  when  in  the  vigor 
of  his  pastoral  life. 

Though  the  physician  in  New  York  feared  that  the 
internal  disease  upon  him  was  incurable,  and  regarded 

Edwards  23 


530  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

the  attempt  to  reach  the  Virginia  Springs  as  hazard 
ous,  he  left  on  the  morning  of  the  13th,  accompanied 
by  his  daughter  and  his  eldest  son,  for  Philadelphia ; 
and  one  week  later  he  wrote  Mrs.  Edwards  from  the 
mansion  of  General  Cocke,  that  he  had  safely  arrived 
there,  and  his  health  "  seemed  to  be  improving."  He 
wrote  again,  June  27,  and  June  30,  that  his  health 
was  "rather  more  comfortable  than  when  he  left 
home  ;"  that  his  appetite,  though  poor,  was  somewhat 
improved,  and  "the  swelling  in  his  feet  much  less 
ened  ;"  that  he  frequently  rode  out,  and  every  thing 
was  done  for  his  comfort ;  that  they  were  having  "  the 
warmest  summer  weather  for  Virginia,  the  thermom 
eter  ranging  from  ninety-four  to  ninety-eight  degrees, 
but  he  did  not  feel  oppressed  by  it  more  than  by  the 
warm  weather  at  the  north." 

One  week  later,  he  and  his  daughter  were  accom 
panied  by  General  Cocke,  by  way  of  the  Natural 
Bridge,  to  the  Rockbridge  Alum  Springs.  They  here 
spent  four  days,  when  the  General  was  called  home  on 
business,  and  Dr.  Edwards  and  his  daughter  proceeded 
sixteen  miles  to  the  Bath  Alum  Springs ;  being  still 
ten  miles  distant  from  the  "Hot  Springs,"  which  he 
wished  to  reach,  hoping  to  receive  benefit  from  bath 
ing  in  the  waters.  At  the  Rockbridge  Springs,  "  he 
went  to  meals  every  day  leaning  on  the  General's 
arm,  though  he  seemed  to  relish  little  or  nothing  that 
he  ate,"  and  the  night  he  arrived  at  the  Bath  Alum 
Springs,  Wednesday,  July  13,  he  was  taken  sick.  We 
give  the  brief  narrative  that  follows,  in  the  words  of 
his  daughter  in  a  letter  to  her  mother,  "Sabbath 
morning,  July  24,  1853  :" 


HIS  CLOSING-  LABORS.  531 

"  MOTHER  DEAR — Pa  went  home  to  heaven  yester 
day  morning  at  half  past  seven  o'clock.  I  believe  he 
heard  the  harps  of  the  angels  before  he  died,  for  the 
sweetest  smile  is  on  his  face.  1 'm  so  happy  to  think 
he 's  done  with  sickness  and  pain  for  ever  ;  and  if  one 
is  made  perfect  through  suffering,  then  I  'in  sure  he  is 
tuning  his  harp  very  near  the  throne  of  God  this 
beautiful  Sabbath  morning.  I  wrote  you  on  Thurs 
day  night  after  the  doctor  came,  but  pa  was  so  debil 
itated  by  his  loss  of  appetite  and  distress,  that  the 
physician  could  only  make  use  of  the  most  simple  rem 
edies.  He  gradually  failed  till  Friday  night,  when 
we  thought  him  dying.  I  held  his  head  on  a  pillow 
from  twelve  o'clock  until  four  Saturday  morning, 
when  his  breathing,  which  had  been  difficult,  became 
as  calm  as  an  infant's,  but  gradually  grew  shorter  and 
shorter,  till  the  last  was  over. 

"I  had  prayed  most  earnestly  that  the  agony  of 
his  disease  might  not  accompany  him  to  the  hour  of 
death,  and  when  I  found  my  prayers  were  answered 
in  granting  him  so  calm  an  exit,  I  could  not  ask  for 
more,  for  his  death  was  the  same  peaceful,  quiet  scene 
that  his  life  has  ever  been.  And,  dearest  mother,  if 
you  could  look  on  the  lovely  expression  of  his  counte 
nance,  I  am  sure  you  must  feel  comforted  in  knowing 
that  every  thing  was  done  for  him,  that  under  the  cir 
cumstances,  human  aid  could  afford. 

"I  have  always  thought  I  should  have  a  dread 
of  death,  but  shall  never  feel  it  again.  I  could  kiss 
the  death-dew  from  his  brow,  and  sing  his  favorite 
hymns — thinking  that  though  so  nearly  lost  to  the 
outward  world,  he  might  still  be  able  to  hear  what  he 


532  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

loved  in  health — all  through  Friday  night,  though  the 
moon  shining  over  his  bed  was  my  only  company. 
The  doctor  had  asked  me  if  I  would  not  have  some 
gentlemen  from  the  house  called  in ;  but  I  told  him 
not  unless  they  could  do  some  good,  for  it  was  my 
greatest  comfort  to  stay  alone  with  him  and  feel  that 
I  was  committing  his  spirit  from  my  care  to  that  of 
his  God. 

"  Although  my  trial  was  a  most  bitter  one,  to  lose 
so  dear  a  friend,  and  among  strangers  too,  yet  when 
the  struggle  was  over  I  could  feel  that  Virginia  was 
as  good  a  place  from  which  to  go  home  to  God  and 
glory,  as  Massachusetts  could  ever  be.  I  had  none 
of  the  desolate,  lonely  feelings  one  might  expect.  I 
could  calmly  select  the  clothes  in  which  to  dress  him 
as  though  they  were  only  for  the  journey  of  the  next 
day,  as  I  have  so  often  done  before ;  and  kissing  him 
after  he  was  dressed,  seemed  like  bidding  him  good- 
by  only  for  a  little  while.  I  made  arrangements  to 
leave  the  same  afternoon,  though  they  begged  me  to 
stay  till  the  next  day ;  but  I  told  them,  no,  for  my 
business  was  done :  I  could  no  longer  comfort  my 
father,  and  must  hurry  home  to  console  my  mother  by 
telling  her  how  much  we  hav'e  to  be  thankful  for.  I 
had  a  plain  box  made  in  which  to  bring  pa  as  far  as 
Lexington,  where  I  could  get  a  metallic  case.  The 
doctor  insisted  on  accompanying  me  as  far  as  Rich 
mond.  I  have  found  so  many  kind  friends — every 
body  is  good  to  me. 

"  I  began  this  at  Rockbridge,  where  we  stopped 
for  breakfast,  but  am  finishing  it  on  the  boat  going 
down  James  river.  I  have  no  fear  but  I  shall  get  on 


HIS  CLOSING-  LABORS.  533 

well,  and  never  can  distrust  again  when  I  have  been 
so  wonderfully  sustained  so  far." 

At  Richmond,  her  eldest  brother  met  her,  and  they 
arrived  at  Andover  on  Monday,  where  the  daughter 
says, "  I  found  the  consoling  grace  of  God  had  reached 
home  before  me,  and  wonderfully  sustained  the  be 
reaved  and  aching  hearts  waiting  there.  The  chil 
dren  were  all  gathered  together,  with  uncles,  aunts, 
and  cousins,  that  sorrowful  but  still  rejoicing  Monday 
night.  On  Tuesday,  August  2,  at  eleven  o'clock,  Pro 
fessor  Phelps  read  the  Scriptures  and  offered  prayer 
at  the  house  with  the  relatives.  Then  we  proceeded 
in  procession  to  the  Seminary  chapel, "where  the  Scrip 
tures  were  read,  prayer  offered  by  Rev.  John  Taylor, 
and  hymns  sung,  the  last  of  which, 

'How  blest  the  righteous  when  he  dies,' 
was  one  of  those  I  sung  to  him  the  night  he  was  dying. 
In  the  chapel  burying-ground  we  laid  him  down  to 
rest,  'with  kings  and  counsellors  of  the  earth/  and 
what  is  more,  with  '  kings  and  priests  unto  God.7 " 

As  a  distinguished  friend  called  to  tender  his 
sympathy  to  the  bereaved  widow,  he  found  her  tear 
ful  eye  lifted  in  thanksgiving  and  praise,  saying,  "I 
feel  that  to  mourn  would  be  ingratitude  to  God  for 
his  rich  and  abounding  grace."  And  when  regret 
was  expressed  that  her  departed  husband  had  not  said 
more  of  his  own  feelings  in  view  of  death,  she  replied, 
"  That  would  not  have  been  like  him ;  he  never  talked 
about  his  own  feelings." 

A  few  days  after,  she  wrote,  "For  more  than  a 
year,  I  have  thought  it  probable  that  his  stay  on  earth 
might  be  short ;  and  he  seemed  to  live  as  if  he  might 


534  REV.   JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

be  called  away  at  any  time,  and  yet  as  if  he  had  much 
work  still  to  do  here,  and  was  not  ready  to  go  till  it 
was  finished.  Trying  as  it  is  to  part  with  him,  I 
would  not  call  him  back  5  he  has  found  a  far  better 
home  in  heaven,  where  Jesus  is,  and  where  he  can  be 
fully  employed  without  fainting  or  tiring,  freed  from 
suffering  and  from  sin,  and  where  he  has,  all  his  life, 
been  preparing  to  go.  I  can  feel  that  the  Lord  is 
good  and  kind  in  giving,  and  kind  in  taking  away.  I 
have  not  been  left  to  regret  that  he  went  south.  Had 
he  stayed  through  my  means  and  died  here,  I  should 
have  reproached  myself,  thinking  that  if  he  had  gone 
as  he  wished,  he  might  have  lived.  And  how  kindly 
was  he  taken  care  of,  by  friends  he  loved,  all  his  jour 
ney  through ;  and  if  he  must  die  from  home,  what 
better  place  could  he  have  chosen? — a  large  airy  room, 
all  things  still  and  quiet,  with  one  to  attend  upon  him. 
Consoling  as  it  would  be  to  me  to  have  been  there,  I 
am  constrained  to  say,  HE  doeth  all  things  well,  and 
blessed  be  his  holy  name." 

When  he  arrived  at  the  Rockbridge  Springs,  and 
again  when  he  reached  the  Bath  Alum  Springs,  he 
asked  for  the  volume  of  Dr.  Scott's  Commentary  con 
taining  the  Psalms,  which  assisted  his  meditations 
when  his  strength  allowed,  and  was  under  his  pillow 
when  he  died.  Though,  on  leaving  home,  he  arranged 
every  thing  as  if  he  were  not  to  return,  he  took  with 
him  the  original  Hebrew  and  best  helps  for  continu 
ing  the  Commentary  ;  and  on  opening  his  trunk,  it  was 
found  that  he  had  carried  it  on  from  the  ninetieth  to 
the  close  of  the  one  hundred  and  nineteenth  Psalm. 
His  daughter  supposed  this  was  done  in  the  calm  early 


HIS  CL081JSG-  LABORS.  535 

morning  hours  of  the  oppressively  hot  days  while  he 
was  at  General  Cocke's,  though  he  was  then  too  weak 
to  bear  continued  conversation  on  any  subject — so  in 
tent  was  he  on  finishing  the  work  which  he  believed 
God  had  called  him  to  do.  He  was  cheered  by  the 
fact  that  his  comment  on  the  New  Testament  was  in 
such  demand  that  no  less  than  seventy  thousand  copies 
had  been  already  printed ;  that  it  was  received  and 
read  with  great  interest,  especially  in  family  worship  ; 
that  the  idea  of  preparing  simple  notes  and  instructions 
for  the  masses  of  men  was  owned  by  the  great  Master, 
and  would  probably  produce  results  more  than  realiz 
ing  his  expectations ;  and  he  was  daily  expecting  to 
receive  from  the  press  the  first  volume  of  the  Old  Tes 
tament,  Genesis  to  Job.  At  the  time  of  his  death  it 
was  supposed  that  his  closing  words  on  the  ninetieth 
Psalm  were  the  last  he  had  written :  "  God  is  the 
author  and  finisher  of  all  good  works.  With  his 
presence  and  blessing,  they  will  continue- to  prosper. 
Men  must  die,  and  leave  many  things  unfinished,  but 
God  lives.  His  cause  will  extend,  and  by  such  in 
struments  as  he  shall  raise  up,  will  ultimately  pros 
per." 

The  physician  who  attended  him  from  the  com 
mencement  of  his  severe  sickness  a  year  before  he 
died,  says,  "At  my  first  visit,  in  April,  1852,  on  hear 
ing  his  plain,  clear,  and  graphic  description  of  his  an 
tecedent  symptoms  and  sufferings,  and  the  treatment 
he  had  received  by  distinguished  physicians,  I  was 
struck  with  his  remarkable  calmness,  firmness,  and 
acquiescence  in  whatever  might  be  the  will  of  divine 
Providence.  He  was  of  the  nervous-bilious  tempera- 


536  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

ment,  favorable  to  activity,  strength,  and  endurance 
both  of  body  and  mind.  The  nature  of  his  disease 
was  such  as  to  cause,  at  times,  extreme  suffering ;  yet 
he  was  never  known  to  express  any  other  view  than 
that  all  was  wisely  ordered  for  good.  Under  all  cir 
cumstances,  he  was  uniformly  kind,  gentle,  charitable, 
faithful,  peaceful,  firm,  and  patient.  On  one  occasion 
of  great  suffering,  I  asked  him  if  he  had  fear  of  death. 
He  answered,  'None.  It  is  nothing  fearful  to  die  and 
go  to  heaven' — adding,  after  a  pause,  'I  love  my 
family  and  friends  of  course,  and  it  would  give  me 
pleasure  to  be  able  to  finish  my  commentary — for 
these  I  could  desire  life ;  but  the  Lord  will  provide, 
and  do  what  is  best/  In  this  severe  illness  he  was 
many  days  deranged,  in  which  state  he  disclosed  much 
hidden  treasure.  His  usual  caution  and  reserve  in 
speaking  disappeared ;  and  he  became  communicative, 
free,  and  lovely  as  the  morn  of  spring :  showing,  in 
his  constant  conversation,  wonderful  stores  of  know 
ledge  and  wise  reflection ;  speaking  of  all  kindly, 
hopefully,  charitably,  and  prayerfully  ;  and  exhibiting 
the  loveliest  phases  of  Christian  character — thus  dis 
pelling  the  deep  gloom  often  pervading  families  in 
such  circumstances,  and  making  his  own  sick-room 
really  cheerful." 

An  excellent  pastor,  who  resided  some  time  in  his 
family,  says,  "I  knew  him  well  and  loved  him  much ; 
and  am  much  indebted  to  his  advice,  suggestions,  and 
wise  hints,  for  the  degree  of  usefulness  with  whicli 
God  has  favored  me  in  the  ministry.  He  had  sterling 
common-sense,  and  the  most  knowledge  about  the 
most  subjects  pertaining  to  all  the  realities  of  life, 


HIS  CLOSING-  LABORS.  537 

that  I  have  discovered  in  any  one  man.  Of  his  de 
voted  piety  there  was  but  one  impression  among  those 
who  knew  him.  His  was  the  religion  of  deep,  un 
bending  principle.  These  qualities  combined  rendered 
him  eminently  competent  to  advise,  and  to  advise  in 
such  a  way  as  to  make  his  suggestions  impressive  and 
useful.  Once  he  said  to  me,  on  telling  him  of  some 
sacrifice  to  observe  the  Sabbath,  '  That  is  right ;  put 
honor  on  God's  institutions,  and  he  will  put  honor  on 
your  instructions.'  At  another  time,  speaking  of  the 
difficulty  of  getting  along  peaceably  in  the  midst  of 
conflicting  religious  opinions  and  interests,  he  said, 
*  Hold  fast  to  your  principles ;  but  with  a  limber  el 
bow.'  So  always  he  had  a  word  in  season,  appro 
priate,  striking,  sententious,  lucid.  I  loved  him  as  a 
father,  and  would  say  much,  were  I  competent  to 
speak  of  such  a  man." 

Another  intelligent  and  successful  pastor,  who  was 
long  in  Dr.  Edwards'  family,  and  gratefully  acknow 
ledges  his  wise  counsel  and  persevering  fidelity  in 
guiding  his  studies  and  preparing  him  for  usefulness, 
says,  with  brevity,  but  judicious  accuracy  and  discrim 
ination  : 

"The  following  occur  to  me  as  among  the  prominent 
traits  of  his  character  as  they  developed  themselves  in 
my  intercourse  with  him :  A  calm,  constant  determi 
nation  to  do  all  the  good  possible,  to  all  the  world. 
Patient,  undeviating  trust  in  God.  Remarkable  self- 
control  ;  as  perfect  a  command  of  his  temper  as  I  ever 
saw  in  any  human  being.  Uncommon  fairness  of  mind, 
willing  to  allow  the  weight  of  opinions  opposite  to 
his  own,  not  dogmatizing,  or  seeming  to  desire  to  force 
23* 


538  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

his  opinions  on  any  one.  Decided  clearness  of  mind, 
seizing  the  strong  points  of  a  case.  Singular  discre 
tion  and  sound  judgment.  Minding  his  own  business. 
Honorableness  of  treatment  towards  all  men.  Kind 
and  tender  feelings.  Great  energy,  perseverance,  and 
self-reliance ;  an  independence  of  other  men,  both  in 
thought  and  in  action,  doing  things  in  his  own  way. 
A  constant  endeavor  to  gain  knowledge.  An  unusu 
ally  well-balanced  mind." 

Of  his  influence  in  his  family,  the  same  pastor  says, 
"It  was  characterized  peculiarly  by  kindness;  which 
showed  itself,  not  in  caresses  or  affectionate  expres 
sions,  but  in  actions  rather  than  phrases,  in  tones 
rather  than  sentences,  in  looks  rather  than  declara 
tions,  in  the  general  aspect  and  mien  and  intercourse, 
rather  than  in  particular  forms.  If  you  asked  him 
any  thing,  he  listened  to  you  carefully,  and  took  time 
and  pains  to  meet  your  wishes;  ready  to  give  his 
thoughts,  his  energy,  and  his  wisdom  for  your  welfare. 
Ill  his  family  intercourse  he  retained  his  personal  dig 
nity,  which  rather  repressed  than  invited  familiarity. 
He  seemed  to  be  pleased  with  the  happy  sports  of  his 
children  at  proper  times,  but  he  never  romped  and 
sported  with  them,  except  with  the  greatest  modera 
tion.  He  was  not  stern;  but  a  sort  of  calm  moral 
grandeur  seemed  to  pervade  his  whole  life,  a  loftiness 
of  thought,  and  plan,  and  labor,  which  left  him  little 
time  and  less  disposition  for  mingling  in  childish 
sports.  I  believe  he  thought,  in  his  later  years,  that  it 
would  have  been  better  to  have  unbent  more  in  famil 
iar  intercourse  in  his  family.  His  bow  seemed  always 
to  be  stretched  to  its  utmost  tension ;  and  had  he 


HIS  CLOSING  LABORS.  539 

allowed  himself  more  relaxation,  his  strength  might 
have  continued  longer.  His  conversation  however 
was  often  entertaining  and  sprightly.  He  had  inhe 
rently  a  vein  of  native  wit,  as  appears  sometimes  in 
his  writings,  especially  when  replying  in  a  single  line 
to  some  fallacious  objection ;  but  I  think  he  was  a  lit 
tle  afraid  of  it,  and  not  only  took  no  pains  to  cultivate 
it,  and  no  pride  in  exercising  it,  but  was  sparing  and 
careful  in  the  use  of  it. 

"His  conversation  was  always  instructive:  he  was 
all  his  life  accumulating  knowledge,  a  reader  on  agri 
culture,  physiology,  natural  philosophy,  politics,  as 
well  as  on  what  more  directly  concerned  his  profes 
sion  ;  and  from  the  stores  of  information  thus  gathered, 
he  not  infrequently  both  entertained  and  instructed 
his  household.  He  had  the  most  perfect  authority  and 
control  over  his  children,  yet  there  was  very  little 
show  of  authority :  he  had  a  rare  power  of  personal 
influence  which  answered  all  purposes,  and  quite  fore 
stalled  any  contest  as  to  the  question  whose  will  should 
govern.  That  influence  commenced  so  early  that  no 
one's  memory  ran  back  of  it ;  and  it  continued  so  dis 
creetly,  so  constantly,  so  calmly,  that  no  one  saw  any 
breach  made  upon  it :  it  was  conceded  from  the  first, 
so  that  though  he  punished  his  children  almost  never, 
he  controlled  them  always.  One  ground  of  this  result 
was,  I  think,  his  deference  to  the  proper  opinions  and 
desires  of  his  children.  He  took  care  to  be  in  the 
right  himself;  not  commanding,  in  haste,  what  he 
might  afterwards  wish  to  recall.  He  rarely  com 
manded  any  thing ;  but  when  his  will  was  known,  it 
was  expected  to  be,  and  was  promptly  obeyed.  In  a 


540  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

matter  of  doubt,  he  gave  the  child  every  opportunity 
to  consider  the  reasons  bearing  on  the  case,  and  its 
own  responsibilities ;  thus  cultivating  the  exercise  of 
individual  judgment  and  discretion.  The  fairness  of 
mind  with  which  he  weighed  and  balanced  great  pub 
lic  questions  of  the  day,  extended  quite  as  much  to 
the  common  affairs  of  the  household. 

"  His  religious  influence  over  his  family  was  not  that 
of  conversations  with  them  personally  at  particular 
times  and  seasons,  so  much  as  the  general  and  com 
manding  influence  of  his  life,  evidently  controlled, 
both  at  home  and  abroad,  by  the  law  of  doing  good 
as  in  the  sight  of  God.  His  prayers  sprang  naturally 
out  of  such  a  life,  not  as  a  formal  appendage,  but  an 
inherent  part  of  it.  It  was  clear  to  those  who  lived 
most  with  him,  that  he  was  calmly,  industriously,  wise 
ly,  with  full  purpose  of  heart,  with  strong  and  vigor 
ous  common-sense,  continually  consecrating  himself  to 
obedience  to  God — not  fitfully,  but  steadily,  persever- 
ingly,  right  on,  through  the  whole  of  life." 

It  may  help  to  present  him  as  he  was,  to  add  from 
a  most  intimate  friend,  "  It  was  sometimes  wished  that 
he  had  been  less  reserved,  and  more  familiar  with  his 
children  and  others,  especially  in  expressing  his  own 
feelings  ;  that  he  had  indulged  himself  more  in  pleas 
ant  relaxation ;  and  given  more  attention  to  minor 
external  graces  and  attractions,  while  his  mind  was 
filled  with  subjects  of  great  and  momentous  interest. 
His  words  were  indeed  few,  but  they  were  well  cho 
sen,  and  he  was  always  ready  to  give  advice  upon 
any  subject  when  asked.  He  was  mild  and  kind,  uni 
form  and  punctual,  and  careful  as  to  making  trouble, 


HIS  CLOSING-  LABORS.  541 

or  finding  fault.  He  trained  his  children  to  industry 
and  energy  in  overcoming  obstacles,  in  which  he  set 
them  an  example  j  making  himself  useful  in  the  vigor 
ous  exercise  he  daily  took  to  preserve  health  and  pre 
pare  himself  for  mental  labor.  All  that  was  to  be 
done  was  done  promptly  and  cheerfully,  without  noise 
or  bustle,  and  nothing  seemed  a  burden.  He  seemed 
to  have  gained  the  heavenly  art  of  having  his  hands 
employed  here,  and  his  heart  in  heaven.  He  never 
joined  in  trifling  conversation  at  home  or  abroad,  or 
in  worldly  conversation  on  the  Sabbath.  He  was 
calm,  self-possessed,  not  over-anxious,  trusting  that 
Providence  would  order  all  things  well ;  and  though 
persevering,  independent,  and  decided  in  his  plans 
and  purposes,  when  any  thing  occurred  to  show  that 
the  will  of  God  was  otherwise,  he  came  into  it  as 
cheerfully  and  as  cordially  as  if  he  had  had  no  plans 
of  his  own.  In  sickness,  he  was  patient  and  forbear 
ing,  cheerful  and  uncomplaining.  In  giving  reproof 
he  was  gentle,  and  spoke  in  a  low,  mild  voice.  His 
early  friends,  though  at  a  distance  from  him,  seemed 
always  to  have  a  place  in  his  heart,  and  he  was  ever 
mindful  of  their  wants.  He  appeared  to  have  a  sym 
pathy  for  all,  from  the  king  on  his  throne  to  the  beg 
gar  in  the  street.  He  envied  not  the  rich,  nor  despis 
ed  the  poor.  His  one  great  object,  from  first  to  last, 
seemed  to  be  to  advance  the  kingdom  of  Christ  and 
get  souls  to  heaven." 

An  intelligent  theological  professor  says,  "  I  knew 
him  intimately,  and  hold  in  my  sweetest  remembrance 
those  hours  of  friendship  that  I  have  enjoyed  in  his 
kind  home.  To  the  stranger,  there  was  a  sort  of  dig- 


542  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS..  D.  D. 

nity  and  distance  in  his  bearing,  while  the  deep  and 
low  intonation  of  his  voice  seemed  to  awe  rather  than 
win  to  an  acquaintance ;  but  to  those  who  knew  him 
more  intimately,  these  first  impressions  were  lost  in 
the  ready  and  uniform  kindness  and  courtesy  that  per 
vaded  his  social  intercourse.  He  was  in  his  family 
the  truly  Christian  father.  His  household  was  emi 
nently  a  happy  one,  made  so  by  the  steady,  uniform 
influence  he  shed  over  it.  The  morning  and  evening 
devotions  constituted  a  part  of  the  order  of  the  house 
hold,  and  came  regularly  with  a  still  and  quiet  grace ; 
making  these  services  a  bright  and  beautiful  illustra 
tion  of  social  religion.  Grave  in  manner,  reverent 
towards  God,  he  opened  the  Bible,  read  a  portion, 
often  made  some  pertinent  remark,  and  with  deep 
solemnity  offered  a  brief  prayer,  in  which  the  rela 
tions  and  wants  of  all  were  definitely  expressed. 
In  earlier  years,  at  the  opening  of  the  service  he 
invoked  the  blessing  of  God,  and  at  a  later  period 
the  family  united  in  singing  a  few  verses.  In  conver 
sation,  it  was  his  habit  often  to  make  obvious  some 
great  principle  of  duty;  to  illustrate  some  obscure 
passage  of  Scripture ;  to  speak  of  events,  political  and 
moral,  the  passing  scenes  of  daily  life,  however  dark 
and  adverse  they  might  seem,  as  items  only  in  the 
providence  of  God,  who  worketh  all  things  after  the 
counsel  of  his  own  will.  Few  men  had  such  a  readi 
ness  in  pertinent  scripture  illustration :  he  often  sur 
prised  you  by  a  passage  from  the  Bible  revealing  the 
truth  under  discussion  with  a  fulness  and  force  that 
no  uninspired  language  could  convey.  The  Sabbath 
evenings  in  his  family  will  live  with  me  till  life  is 


HIS  CLOSING-  LABORS.  543 

over.  When  the  public  duties  of  the  day  were  past, 
his  views  of  divine  truth,  expressed  in  his  own  happy 
manner,  were  rich  with  instruction,  and  doubly  im 
pressive  as  they  were  felt  to  be  but  the  utterance  of 
his  own  deep  Christian  life.  We  love  to  say  of  him, 
that  in  his  private  and  family  relations  there  was 
nothing  which  we  should  wish  to  forget.  Always 
open,  sincere,  serious,  he  was  a  Christian  gentleman ; 
truthful,  honest,  he  was  a  wise  adviser  in  private 
counsel ;  he  was  an  honored  father,  a  beloved  hus 
band,  whose  memory  shall  long  refresh  those  who 
knew  him,  'as  the  dew  of  Hermon,  and  as  the  dew 
that  descended  upon  the  mountains  of  Zion,  where 
the  Lord  commanded  his  blessing,  even  life  for  ever 
more."7 

The  editor  of  an  able  and  widely  circulated  jour 
nal,  who  was  early  associated  with  Dr.  Edwards  in 
the  Temperance  reformation,  said  in  an  article  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  "A  great  man  is  fallen  in  Israel. 
In  his  boyhood  he  manifested  an  extraordinary  desire 
for  the  acquisition  of  knowledge,  especially  in  the 
profoundest  subjects  of  thought.  His  ministry  was 
greatly  blessed  and  honored.  It  was  he,  more  than 
any  other,  that  studied  out  and  promulgated  the  doc 
trines  of  the  great  Temperance  reform — the  moral 
wonder  of  the  age — everywhere  seeking  to  fix  the 
true  doctrines  and  practice  of  Temperance  deeply  in 
the  consciences  of  the  best  portions  of  society.  His 
'  Permanent  Temperance  Documents 7  constitute  a  se 
ries  of  linked  logic  and  powerful  appeal  that  can 
hardly  be  equalled  in  the  English  language.  His 
Family  Comment  on  the  Bible  shows  how  perfectly 


5-14     .  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

original  and  unique  his  mind  was  both  in  conception 
and  execution. 

"The  most  striking  traits  of  his  character  were 
greatness  and  integrity.  He  grasped  the  greatest 
subjects  to  which  he  turned  his  attention,  and  had 
them  in  his  mind  in  all  their  relations.  And  the  pow 
ers  with  which  he  was  endowed,  he  cultivated  and  put 
forth  with  wisdom,  and  employed  them  to  the  utmost 
for  the  advancement  of  the  best  objects.  Few  men 
could  present  the  great  truths  of  salvation  with  such 
transparent  clearness  and  such  tremendous  cogency, 
and  in  such  varied,  potent  applications,  as  he  was 
wont  to  do  in  his  preaching  as  a  pastor.  Rare  is  the 
man  who  could  lay  such  far-reaching  and  all-compre 
hending  plans,  having  every  step  of  the  process  so  en 
tirely  in  his  mind,  and  carry  them  forward  with  such 
calm  certainty  of  the  result,  and  yet  admit  nothing 
into  the  process  inconsistent  with  the  spirit  and  exam 
ple  of  the  Saviour.  He  did  nothing  which  even  jeal 
ousy  could  imagine  was  designed  for  display,  or  to 
'make  an  impression,'  or  to  exhibit  himself.  The 
breaking  down  of  his  health  during  his  pastorate  in 
Boston,  weakened  the  physical  vigor  of  his  giant 
frame,  which  before  had  few  equals  •  but  his  extraor 
dinary  mental  power  in  the  investigation  of  truth, 
and  in  simplifying  great  truths  to  the  general  under 
standing,  remained  unimpaired.  And  the  upright 
ness  and  integrity  which  marked  his  whole  career  of 
life,  will  make  him  a  pattern  to  all  other  great  and 
good  men  who  shall  be  called  to  fill  stations  of  pe 
culiar  difficulty  and  responsibility  in  the  service  of 
Christ." 


HIS  CLOSING-  LABORS.  545 

About  the  same  time,  an  eloquent  pastor  at  the 
South  .wrote  in  a  public  journal,  "Indomitable  energy 
and  perseverance  were  developed  from  the  commence 
ment  of  his  college  life.  No  soft  indulgences  marked 
any  point  of  his  career.  Out  of  deep  poverty  was  he 
to  enrich  those  for  whom  he  labored.  With  a  thought 
ful,  investigating,  reasoning  mind  was  united  the  spirit 
of  a  practical  philanthropy.  He  contemplated  truth 
always  with  a  view  to  results.  Enamored  of  her 
excellence,  he  strove  to  impress  a  sense  of  it  on  oth 
ers.  One  could  not  help  being  charmed  with  the 
beauty  of  his  reasoning  on  subjects  which  are  usually 
considered  as  demanding  impassioned  appeals.  A 
singular  combination  of  gentleness  and  energy  char 
acterized  his  mind.  He  sought  to  persuade  by  con 
vincing.  Inscribing  on  his  banner  LIGHT  and  LOVE,  he 
elevated  it,  and  never  suffered  it  to  be  trailed  in  the 
dust.  His  plans  for  the  good  of  men  being  adopted 
with  great  judgment,  and  carried  out  with  a  steady 
perseverance,  were  uniformly  crowned  with  success. 
It  is  not  usual  that  one  so  eminent  as  a  student,  a 
preacher,  a  teacher,  becomes,  when  past  the  meridian 
of  life,  so  aggressive  and  effectual  a  laborer  in  untried 
spheres.  But  the  activity  of  his  spirit  could  never 
be  repressed.  He  could  not  'live  to  himself.7  To 
do  good  was  the  element  of  his  being,  the  life  of  his 
happiness."  V 

The  "  World's  Temperance  Convention,"  held  at 
New  York,  September,  1853,  dropped  a  tear  over  his 
departure,  expressed  their  "high  and  grateful  appre 
ciation  of  his  services  in  the  cause  of  Temperance," 
and  "  deeply  mourned  the  loss  from  their  ranks  of  so 


546  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

efficient  and  faithful  a  laborer."  The  gentleman  in 
the  chair  and  others  traced  to  his  influence  and  early 
labors  their  own  enlistment  in  the  Temperance  refor 
mation.  "  I  heard  him  in  Maryland,"  said  a  veteran 
in  the  Temperance  service,  "  and  the  words  he  used 
became  riveted  upon  my  heart.  I  had  the  honor  of 
being  with  him  on  the  business  committee  in  the  Na 
tional  Convention,  held  in  1833,  in  the  Hall  of  Amer 
ican  Independence.  There,  and  in  subsequent  con 
ventions  where  I  was  with  him,  whenever  adverse 
thoughts  and  views  were  presented,  a  word  or  two 
from  his  clear  mind  was  like  oil  from  the  troubled 
waters.  His  memory  will  last  while  ages  last.  Gen 
erations  yet  unborn  will  rise  and  call  him  blessed." 

A  late  professor  in  the  seminary  at  Andover  says, 
"I  first  became  acquainted  with  Dr.  Edwards  in 
1811,  when  he  was  a  member  of  the  seminary.  I  re 
member  well  the  high  character  he  bore  in  the  sem 
inary,  and  increasingly  abroad,  as  his  high  promise 
became  rapidly  known.  He  took  a  lively  interest  in 
the  cause  of  missions,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  and 
lent  his  commanding  influence  in  the  seminary  to  the 
promotion  of  that  cause.  It  was  at  that  heart-stir 
ring  period  when  our  first  foreign  missionaries  were 
ordained  and  sent  abroad,  and  when  the  projects  were 
on  foot  for  exploring  our  Western  and  Southern  fron 
tiers  by  Mills  and  others  ;  and  from  that  eventful  day 
to  his  death,  Dr.  Edwards'  heart  was  ever  ready  to 
exult  in  any  new  and  wise  movement  for  the  promo 
tion  of  Christ's  kingdom.  While  a  student  at  the 
seminary  his  health  and  vigor  were  remarkable,  and 
his  severe  and  successful  application  to  study  was 


HIS  CLOSING-  LABORS.  547 

enough  to  break  down  the  strongest  constitution.  He 
was  called  to  the  church  in  Andover  at  precisely  the 
grand  crisis  for  orthodoxy  in  Eastern  Massachusetts, 
when  no  one  could  predict  the  result.  But  the  peo 
ple,  however  variously  they  might  regard  his  theol 
ogy,  all  perceived  a  life,  and  power,  and  substance 
in  his  preaching,  which  was  also  much  admired  by 
the  students;  and  the  results  have  been  most  pro 
pitious  to  the  interests  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 
When,  after  the  lapse  of  years,  he  was  made  presi 
dent  of  the  seminary,  he  came  into  that  station  with 
the  same  steady  and  glowing  piety,  sound  judgment, 
and  aim  at  practical  wisdom,  though  the  duties  devolv 
ed  on  him,  in  their  minute  and  ever-varying  details, 
were  far  from  being  such  as  to  give  him  the  same 
prominence  in  the  public  eye  that  he  had  held  in  his 
previous  life.  As  a  presiding  and  executive  officer, 
he  was  all  that  could  be  desired.  Every  thing  belong 
ing  to  the  department  was  attended  to  promptly  and 
well.  It  was  from  an  intuitive  knowledge  of  his  fit 
ness  for  these  duties,  that  Mr.  Bartlet  was  so  anxious 
he  should  be  appointed  to  the  office,  and  so  willing, 
year  by  year,  till  he  died,  to  furnish,  by  special  dona 
tion,  the  requisite  funds  for  his  support.  His  useful 
ness  in  this  office  will  be  fully  known  only  at  that  final 
day  when  not  only  his  general  care  of  the  seminary 
and  the  academy,  but  his  prayers  and  the  extent  of 
his  truly  pious  influence  on  the  students,  and  through 
them  on  the  world,  shall  be  unveiled." 

An  officer  of  one  of  our  prominent  benevolent 
institutions  writes :  "  Dr.  Edwards'  mind  appeared 
to  me  to  be  comprehensive  and  far-reaching  beyond 


518  REV.  JUSTIN   EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

that  of  most  men.  In  the  public  enterprises  in  which 
he  engaged,  he  laid  the  foundation  of  success  in  first 
securing  the  adoption,  in  the  public  mind,  of  simple 
and  almost  self  evident  principles  that  no  one  could 
question,  and  thus  gained  the  results  with  more  ease 
than  most  men  are  wont  to  do,  winning  his  victories 
before  the  enemy  was  fairly  aroused. 

"His  influence  in  intelligent  deliberative  assem 
blies,  when  he  took  an  active  part  in  them,  was  re 
markably  effective.  The  sanctified  self-control,  for 
which  he  was  always  distinguished,  was  one  element 
of  this  influence.  The  unbounded  confidence  reposed 
in  his  integrity,  was  another.  There  was  something, 
also,  in  his  grave  and  commanding  person,  and  in  the 
deep  tones  of  his  voice.  But  these  served  only  as 
auxiliaries  to  a  high  attribute  of  his  understanding : 
I  mean,  his  power  of  stating  facts.  In  this  he  was  pre 
eminent.  Never  in  haste  to  speak,  when  he  did  speak 
in  deliberative  assemblies  it  was  generally  in  some 
simple,  lucid  statement,  that  placed  the  principal  facts 
of  the  case  in  their  true  form  and  natural  relations, 
making  them  all  bear  directly  on  the  point  at  issue ; 
and  when  once  he  had  laid  himself  out  in  this  man 
ner,  there  was  afterwards  little  real  occasion  for  de 
bate.  In  this  power  of  effective  argumentative  state 
ment  of  facts,  he  resembled  Daniel  Webster.  This 
was  indeed  his  forte  ;  and  it  was  delightful,  while  lis 
tening  to  him,  to  see  the  spirit  of  controversy  visibly 
subsiding  under  the  influence  of  truth  presented,  in 
its  simplest  forms,  by  a  great  and  good  mind. 

"  I  never  saw  so  remarkable  an  instance  of  sancti 
fied  self-control  as  on  one  occasion,  when  Dr.  Edwards 


HIS  CLOSING-  LABORS.  549 

resigned  a  public  charge,  as  he  believed  in  accord 
ance  with  the  will  of  divine  Providence.  With  solem 
nity,  and  with  the  same  calmness  and  deliberation  as 
when  stating  important  cases  in  which  he  was  not 
personally  interested,  he  went  into  a  historical  view 
of  his  position,  and  of  the  matter  as  it  then  stood. 
And  I  must  say  that  in  all  my  intercourse  with  good 
men  in  similar  circumstances,  I  never  saw  any  thing 
equal  to  what  I  then  beheld  in  Dr.  Edwards.  It  was 
a  great,  magnanimous,  and  uncommonly  sanctified 
man  rising  calmly  out  of  painful  perplexities,  with  his 
eyes  intent  on  the  divine  Being  ordering  all  things 
for  his  own  glory.  It  was  the  sublime  in  character, 
and  I  delight  ever  to  retain  it  in  my  memory." 


REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  1). 


CONCLUSION. 

IN  reviewing  this  outline  of  the  life  of  Dr.  Ed 
wards,  which  we  have  endeavored  to  present  in  sim 
plicity  and  in  truth  in  view  of  all  the  light  that  has 
come  before  us,  and  adoring  the  grace  and  mercy  of 
God  manifested  in  him,  we  notice, 

The  elements  which  were  combined  to  form  his  religious 
character.  Like  Martin  Luther,  and  John  Banyan, 
and  John  Newton,  and  James  Milnor,  he  saw  himself 
"  plucked  as  a  brand  from  the  burning,"  and  he  long 
ed  to  rescue  others  from  the  same  doom.  It  was  not 
immorality,  or  violence  and  crime,  from  which  he  was 
rescued,  but  the  equally  fatal  "neglect"  of  "the  great 
salvation,"  in  which  he  and  the  community,  including 
many  of  the  churches  around  him,  were  gliding  secure 
ly  on,  though  practically  denying  the  work  and  grace 
of  Christ,  and  the  necessity  of  the  new  birth  by  the 
renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  spiritual  death 
from  which  he  had  been  redeemed,  and  the  riches  of 
grace  revealed  to  him,  were  fresh  in  his  mind  till  his 
dying  day ;  and  he  felt  bound  by  infinite  motives,  to 
make  them  known  to  others  as  far  as  the  ruins  of  the 
fall  had  spread.  In  the  revival  of  the  work  of  God 
about  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  in  which 
his  religious  character  was  formed,  the  distinguishing 
truths  and  doctrines  of  salvation  by  grace  were  per 
haps  as  clearly  preached  as  in  the  great  reformation, 
or  in  the  davs  of  Baxter  and  Flavel  in  the  seven- 


CONCLUSION.  551 

teenth  century,  or  of  President  Edwards  and  other 
worthies  in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth ;  and  to  this 
there  was  superadded  the  missionary  spirit — the  sense 
of  obligation  to  convey  a  knowledge  of  "  the  gospel  to 
every  creature" — which  had  not  to  the  same  extent 
appeared  since  apostolic  days.  The  union  of  these 
two  elements — clear  views  of  the  doctrines  of  grace, 
fired  by  the  missionary  spirit — is  the  key  that  Jits  the 
wards  of  Dr.  Edwards1  life,  and  unlocks  his  character, 
from  the  hour  when  he  began  to  study  for  the  minis 
try,  till  from  the  Virginia  Springs  he  ascended  into 
rest.  Here  we  find  the  LIGHT  and  LOVE  which  char 
acterize  his  efforts — light  from  on  high,  and  love  to 
perishing  souls.  Hence, 

"Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified"  was  his  great 
theme.  He  had  felt  its  constraining  power,  and 
knew  that  in  it  centre  the  hopes  of  men.  Not  only 
was  this  the  theme  of  his  ministry,  but  in  his  efforts 
for  Temperance  and  the  Sabbath  he  did  not  think 
any  other  motive  strong  enough  permanently  to  control 
the  heart  and  life.  He  saw  too,  that  intemperance 
and  Sabbath-breaking  benumbed  the  hearts  and  clos 
ed  the  ears  of  men  to  the  overtures  of  divine  mercy, 
and  that  both  were  appalling  obstacles  which  must 
be  taken  out  of  the  way  of  the  chariot  of  salvation. 
Hence  too, 

His  life  of  prayer  and  trust  in  Providence.  Did  ever 
a  circle  of  Christians,  great  or  small,  in  any  circum 
stances,  bow  with  him  before  God  in  the  spirit  of 
prayer,  when  by  his  leading  their  devotions,  they  did 
not  feel  that  they  were  brought  nearer  the  throne  of 
grace ?  "I  never  heard  him  preach,"  said  a  godly 


552  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

minister  in  New  Hampshire,  "but  he  once  offered  a 
prayer  that  I  shall  never  forget."  We  have  met  him 
in  his  study  when  it  seemed  as  "  the  gate  of  heaven/7 
filled  with  the  presence  of  God.  A  venerable  lady  of 
his  church  states  that  a  few  years  after  he  was  settled, 
as  he  was  offering  prayer  in  the  sanctuary  on  a  Sab 
bath  morning,  the  shock  of  an  earthquake  was  per 
ceptible  by  all  the  congregation  •  but  the  tones  of  his 
voice  were  unchanged,  and  he  immediately  proceeded 
in  thanks  to  God  that  "  though  the  earth  be  removed," 
they  that  trust  in  him  are  safe.  His  looking  for  light 
and  direction  from  above  was  habitual,  and  observed 
by  all  who  knew  him.  A  young  clergyman,  hearing 
that  his  health  was  prostrated,  and  fearing  that  death 
was  near,  wrote  him,  "  I  almost  daily  bless  God  for 
what  you  have  done  for  me.  If  I  have  had  any  wis 
dom  to  follow  the  indications  of  Providence — not  to 
contend  with  men,  or  set  up  my  little  self  and  deter 
mine  always  to  have  my  own  way,  or  attempt  to  carry 
measures  by  management — and  not  to  be  alarmed  but 
trust  in  God  when  prospects  look  dark,  I  owe  it  in  a 
great  degree,  under  God,  to  you ;  and  I  beg  still  to 
ask  an  interest  in  your  prayers."  When  he  was  asked 
by  a  young  secretary  who  had  just  received  interest 
ing  intelligence  from  abroad,  whether  to  publish  it  at 
once,  or  keep  it  for  the  annual  report,  "  Let  it  go," 
said  he,  "Providence  will  provide  for  the  report." 
Hence  too, 

His  love  of  the  Bible,  God's  own  revelation  of  truth 
in  its  inspired  aspects  and  connections,  in  which  there 
could  be  no  defect,  nor  shade  of  error,  and  his  desire 
that  all  men  should  have  it  and  study  and  understand 


CONCLUSION.  553 

it.  For  this  object  he  seems  to  have  planned  efforts 
like  those  he  made  for  Temperance  and  the  Sabbath — 
to  visit  legislatures  and  clerical  bodies  and  churches 
throughout  the  land,  and  ultimately  to  prepare  a  Bible 
Manual  presenting  the  subject  in  its  momentous  import 
and  practical  bearings ;  and  though  he  did  not  live  to 
execute  these  plans  in  the  manner  proposed,  yet  the 
notes  and  instructions  for  common  minds,  which  he 
was  providentially  led  to  prepare  on  the  New  Testa 
ment  and  half  of  the  Old,  when  carried  to  their  com 
pletion,  with  auxiliary  helps  such  as  he  designed,  may 
yet  happily  realize  the  beneficent  results  he  had  in  view. 

He  presented  divine  truth  in  great  ckarness  and 
simplicity  to  the  common  mind.  In  preaching,  he  seemed 
to  feel,  like  Dr.  Archibald  Alexander,  whom  in  keen 
discernment,  strong  common-sense,  wisdom  in  counsel, 
and  love  to  the  masses  of  men,  he  much  resembled, 
that  the  pulpit  was  too  sacred,  and  souls  too  precious, 
for  him  there  to  display  himself  in  literary  terms,  or 
nice  abstract  disquisitions,  while  the  souls  of  the  great 
body  of  his  hearers  were  hungering  for  the  bread  of 
life.  In  all  Dr.  Edwards  wrote  which  has  met  our 
eye,  we  do  not  remember  his  using  an  obscure  word 
of  foreign  origin,  when  a  plain  Anglo-saxon  term 
would  give  the  idea  j  nor  have  we  met  any  argument 
in  favor  of  the  denomination  with  which  he  stood  con 
nected,  to  the  prejudice  of  other  denominations  who 
embraced  the  great  substantiate  of  the  gospel  "in 
spirit  and  in  truth." 

He  fixed  on  the  strong  point  of  a  subject.  He  knew 
the  common  mind,  and  how  to  rouse  it  with  prodigious 
energy.  He  worked  out  the  plain  practical  thought 

Edward*.  24 


554  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

on  which  a  subject  rested,  and  when  he  presented  it, 
others  seemed  to  see  it  as  clearly  as  himself.  To  a 
great  extent  this  was  illustrated  in  every  sermon  he 
preached,  or  address  he  made.  That  all  the  temperate 
should  practise  total  abstinence — God's  right  to  the 
Sabbath,  and  the  right  of  every  laboring  man  and 
beast  of  burden  to  its  rest — and  that  every  man  should 
learn  what  God  has  said  in  the  Bible  and  obey  it — are 
ideas  as  simple  as,  in  the  phases  in  which  he  present 
ed  them,  they  were  original  and  profound,  underlying 
the  great  objects  to  which  nearly  twenty  years  of  his 
life  were  consecrated. 

His  patient  endurance  and  laborious  self-denial.  Hav 
ing  given  himself  to  Christ,  with  his  firm  physical 
powers  strengthened  by  cultivating  a  rocky  New 
England  soil ;  parting  with  the  caresses  of  his  mother 
at  the  age  of  five,  and  compelled  to  work  his  way  to 
manhood  as  it  were  alone — hardship  and  toil  had  no 
terror  for  him.  Of  all  that  his  tender,  sensitive  heart 
endured,  in  the  trying  events  to  which  human  life  is 
subject,  and  of  the  bodily  pain  he  suffered,  we  have 
said  little,  for  the  reason  that  he  neither  wrote  of 
them,  nor  spoke  of  them,  even  on  the  bed  of  death. 
The  aim  of  life  was  to  glorify  God  in  doing  good,  and 
he  could  silently  and  uncomplainingly  toil  on,  practise 
economy,  endure  self-tlenial,  and  bear  burdens.  Such 
was  his  punctuality,  that  in  the  seven  years  of  his 
Temperance  labors  he  did  not  remember  being  in  any 
case  too  late ;  and  his  financial  affairs  were  conducted 
with  a  promptness  and  accuracy,  that  left  his  mind 
unembarrassed  for  his  great  work. 

He  was  uniformly  land.     His  natural  reserve,  cher- 


CONCLUSION.  555 

ished  perhaps  by  the  early  removal  of  his  mother  and 
other  circumstances  of  his  early  life,  ripened  into  that 
"keeping  his  tongue  from  evil,  and  his  lips  from  speak 
ing  guile,"  which  was  a  beautiful  trait  of  his  charac 
ter.  The  writer  has  discovered  in  all  he  wrote  no 
spirit  of  retaliation,  nor  has  he  heard  from  his  lips  an 
unkind  word  concerning  any  human  being.  To  a 
friend  who  submitted  to  him  a  sharp  letter  to  one 
with  whom  he  felt  aggrieved,  he  replied,  "The  en 
closed  I  have  read  with  care,  and  now,  according  to 
your  request,  return  it.  He  who  was  more  wronged 
than  any  other,  'when  he  was  reviled,  reviled  not 
again/  and  when  'led  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter, 
opened  not  his  mouth.7 "  The  writer  once  applying  to 
him  for  counsel,  in  some  alarm  at  an  obstacle  to  use 
fulness  which  another  seemed  to  be  interposing,  the 
burden  was  rolled  off  in  a  moment  as  he  replied,  "  0 
well,  if  he  is  determined  to  stand  there,  let  him  stand — 
it  is  not  best  to  quarrel  with  him — pass  right  round 
him,  and  go  on  and  do  the  Lord's  work.'7  There  was 
in  his  counsels  a  remarkable  absence  of  his  own  per 
sonal  interest,  and  largeness  of  view  for  the  prosper 
ity  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 

His  constant  preparation  for  death.  Our  narrative  of 
his  last  days  and  hours  is  but  like  that  of  the  ancient 
scripture  worthies,  "  And  he  died ;"  while  his  life 
shows  that  the  future  of  the  present  and  of  the  com 
ing  world  was  viewed  by  him,  as  it  was  seen  in  visions 
of  the  prophets,  at  one  glance.  When  he  should  be 
transferred  from  one  world  to  the  other,  was  known 
only  to  God ;  and  the  idea  that  preparation  was  the 
peculiar  work  of  a  dying  hour  seems  not  to  have  en- 


556  REV.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.  D. 

tered  his  thoughts.  In  the  spirit  of  his  own  rules  of 
life,  found  in  his  pocketbook,  he  seemed  to  "  act  for 
God,  for  the  universe,  and  for  eternity;"  to  "trust 
habitually  in  Christ  Jesus  for  all  he  needed  both  for 
this  life  and  the  life  to  come ;"  to  "  seek  the  teaching, 
the  illuminating,  and  purifying  influences  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  that  He  might  dwell  in  him ;"  and  to  do  what 
would  "give  him  the  greatest  joy  at  the  judgment- 
day."  The  language  of  his  life  was,  "  For  me  to  live 
is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain."  "  Whether  we  live,  we 
live  unto  the  Lord ;  and  whether  we  die,  we  die  unto 
the  Lord :  whether  we  live,  therefore,  or  die,  we  are 
the  Lord's." 

A  neat,  enduring  marble  monument  has  been 
erected  at  his  grave,  enclosed  by  an  iron  railing, 
with  this  inscription : 

KEY.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 

BORN  IN  WESTHAMPTON,  MASS.,  APRIL  25,  1787. 
DIED  JULY  23,  1853. 

HE  WAS  SUCCESSIVELY  PASTOR  OF  THE  SOUTH  CHURCH,  AND  OVER,  AND 
THE   SALEM   CHURCH,   BOSTON;    SECRETARY  OF    THE  AMERICAN 
TEMPERANCE  SOCIETY  ;   PRESIDENT  OF  THE  ANDOVER  THE 
OLOGICAL  SEMINARY  ;  AND  SECRETARY  OF  THE  AMERI 
CAN   AND  FOREIGN  SABBATH  UNION.      THE  LAST 
FOUR  YEARS  OF  HIS  LIFE  WERE  DEVOTED 
TO  THE    PREPARATION    OF    A    FAMILY 
COMMENTARY  ON  THE   BIBLE. 

THE  MEMORY  OF  THE  JUST  IS  BLESSED. 


Cjje  ^mmran  Cratt 

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